Steven Caulker
Sherwood may have kept hold of Caulker.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood has indicated he would have handed Steven Caulker chances to earn himself a consistent role in the first team.

Caulker, a product of Tottenham's academy, was allowed to join Cardiff City for a fee of £8.5m during the summer transfer window after Andre Villas-Boas was unable to promise him the first team opportunities he desired.

The 22-year-old defender has since gone onto become an integral member of the Cardiff backline despite the club's disappointing season that sees them second from bottom and was recently awarded with a place in Roy Hodgson's England squad ahead of Wednesday's friendly with Denmark.

Tottenham's eventually brought Vlad Chiriches to the club to supplement the loss of Caullker, but Sherwood admits he may have made a different decision.

"He wanted game time and more than the previous manager would guarantee him," said Sherwood before his side's 1-0 win over Cardiff City on Sunday.

"The club decided they would let the player go and they think they had a good deal. It is up to Steven to build on that and prove the club were wrong to let him go.

"He wanted to go and play. The only thing I could have done is say 'you will play more football'.

"We are happy with the squad we have got and the club made the decision to let him go. It happens. I wish Gareth Bale was still here. We saw in the Champions League what he can do at that level."

Caulker could win his first England cap this Wednesday with Hodgson's options at centre half thin for the visit of Denmark. But the Cardiff defender's hopes of winning a spot in the final squad to travel to Brazil seem unlikely after the England boss indicated he already knows who his first four options are.

"We wouldn't be taking more than four centre-backs with us to Brazil," Hodgson said during a press conference.

"I don't think any country would. Jagielka, Cahill, Jones and Smalling – they are our four.

"Caulker is another one and we are unlucky that two of our five are unavailable at the moment."