Michael Keane called up to the England squad after Glen Johnson suffers injury

Mark Runnacles/Getty Images
Tom Dutton4 October 2016

Gareth Southgate has handed Burnley's Michael Keane a first England call-up after Stoke's Glen Johnson was forced to withdraw from the squad with injury.

Keane, who has worked with Southgate at England Under21s level, scored in the Claret's 2-0 victory over Watford last month and has played every minute for Sean Dyche's men since their return to the top flight.

The squad are due to report to St. George's Park for international duty on Tuesday ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovenia.

Keane joins club team-mate Tom Heaton in the senior England squad while Johnson will return to Stoke to regain fitness following Sunday's shock call-up.

The Stoke defender, who boasts 54 England caps, has not featured for the Three Lions since the 2014 World Cup.

Explaining his decision to recall Johnson after two years away from the international fold, Southgate said on Monday: "Kyle Walker and Nathaniel Clyne were the two right-backs last time. We lost Nathaniel (with a minor injury) and the rationale is, the squad the last couple of years, we've gone young, young, young, and I'm not sure you can keep doing that.

"I think there's a moment for some experience. In the summer, we saw in key pressure moments, there's a lack of big match experience.

"To be able to bring a player with 50 plus caps into that squad was something we thought long and hard about but we felt it was the right decision."

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