Hodgson eager to protect newcomers

England coach Roy Hodgson has revealed that he will do his best to protect the newcomers in his squad from the limelight this summer.

The former Fulham coach is preparing to take a number of fresh faces to Euro 2016, after a number of impressive performances in the Premier League.

The likes of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Deli Alli have caught the eye and earned call-ups in the past but Hodgson is already trying to help them due to their lack of tournament experience.

Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater was called up for the first-time last week and he will be hoping to play his part in March’s friendlies against Germany and the Netherlands.

Defenders Danny Rose, Ryan Bertrand and Luke Shaw have also got little tournament experience but Hodgson is hopeful that he can hide his players away from the limelight.

Hodgson told the Guardian: “A lot of our players, when you take Wayne Rooney out of the equation, are still very inexperienced at international level. Lots don’t have double figures in caps.

“We need to be a bit careful before we say that Jamie Vardy, Harry Kane or Dele Alli are going to win us the Euros. You’re putting pressure on their shoulders that their CVs don’t bear.

“The hype and expectation 20 years ago was slightly different – the world was different – but the pressures have always been there. We can use [the psychiatrist] Steve Peters to have a word with players and try to give them the right sense of perspective and the right feelings about things.”