Joe Hart and Gary Cahill bring love of life to jaded England

Posted Sunday, September 05, 2010 by theguardian.com

Joe Hart and Gary Cahill bring love of life to jaded England
Joe Hart has been given the thumbs-up by the England management and fans for his impressive performances.

England could start against Switzerland on Tuesday night with one centre-half from Bolton Wanderers and another who clocks on for work at Everton, with the pair ably supported by a goalkeeper who was on loan at Birmingham City last season and whose first competitive start for his country sent a £500,000 bonus winging its way to Shrewsbury Town.

Champions League elitists will study the back of England's Euro 2012 qualifying side and think it a botch job of mid-table nearly men. Instead there is a freshness about the team who beat Bulgaria 4-0 on Friday night that Fabio Capello has found by accident. In a world without injuries, Rio Ferdinand and John Terry would still be in sinecures at centre-back, but instead Gary Cahill (Bolton) is likely to hook up with Phil Jagielka (Everton) in the aftermath of Michael Dawson's nasty knee injury at Wembley.

Cahill, an impressive athlete and quicker than most of Capello's more senior centre-backs, was selected on the bench ahead of West Ham's Matthew Upson, whose limitations were exposed in the 4-1 defeat to Germany in Bloemfontein. The mantra that an England international must be a Champions League regular will be tested in Switzerland. Jagielka earned high marks for his contribution against Bulgaria and Cahill, 24, exudes the optimism of a player who has not been soured by the boom and bust of the past eight years.

Hart's dazzling graduation to the No1 goalkeeping spot comes only after Capello messed up the succession by starting with Robert Green – the compromise candidate – in South Africa, and then falling back on David James when Robert turned out to be too green. Adversity has yet to assail his breezy temperament, but Hart, who left Shrewsbury for Manchester City four years ago, looks the best young English prospect in the nets for 30 years or more.

His keepy-uppy cameo against Bulgaria may be seen by some as pride before a fall, but others will think joie de vivre is just what England need as they try to escape the dead hand of the "golden generation" myth. "As soon as I did that I knew I'd be in trouble," he said. "I got lost in the moment. I wish I hadn't done it."

Ray Clemence, the England goalkeeping coach, says: "Joe is a young lad, he has come into the side, this is his third or fourth international, and in each one he has looked more and more comfortable as though to say: 'I can cope with this, I'll deal with it,' and he has done. When he was needed he pulled off three or four excellent saves which influenced the game and that is what top international keepers do.

"He's playing well and it's not just here but at Man City. I remember a performance against Tottenham, where he looked really difficult to beat for opposing forwards. I was at that game and he was a bit special. The game would have been well and truly over by half-time but for Joe. He is a smashing lad, you couldn't wish for a better lad to do well, and he is just as keen on the training ground as he is on the pitch."

England qualifying campaigns often start this way. A small or declining nation is smacked aside and hype's hurdy-gurdy starts up afresh before reality lands its hammer blow in round two or the quarter-finals of a tournament.

Immense pressure has been placed on Capello to discard a generation that has failed in England colours since the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. There will be no revolution, no purge; that much is already clear.

Jack Wilshere was sent back to the Under-21s, Jack Rodwell remains a hazy presence in Capello's mind and Tom Huddlestone was tried in pre‑World Cup friendlies and dumped. Adam Johnson, the best English winger – more tricky and more consistent in his delivery than Theo Walcott, who is also in fine form – looked out from the bench against Bulgaria as the England coach persisted with his wasteful habit of starting Steven Gerrard (nominally) on the left.

But slightly older players are pushing in from the margins. Jermain Defoe, who struck a hat-trick on Friday, is the best example. In the post-World Cup inquest Defoe was noticeably sanguine. Declining to come home in disguise, or self-lacerate to placate an angry gallery, Defoe instead spoke as one who saw an opportunity to advance his own claim in a more fluid time, and took that chance by exploiting three assists from Wayne Rooney, himself revitalised in the No10 playmaking position.

Cahill is a good bet to establish himself as Terry's main understudy and should see lots of action now that the battered former captain is more and more injury prone. As Cahill jogged on to replace the stricken Dawson he could smell his opportunity. "I was happy to be playing and extremely proud to represent my country, but when you come back in the changing room and see him [Dawson] injured on the bed it does take the shine off it a little bit," he said.

"I've been in and around the squad for eight games now just keeping my head down and waiting for a chance to come on and show what I can do. I was so hungry to get on there. From being a little lad you strive to play for your country. I think the opportunity is there because I've got maybe a bit of age on my side."

"Saying we're the next generation is a big shout," Hart said, sensing the way this thread was going. We find out for sure on that eternal burning ground of English hope: in tournaments.