Baffled

  • by Staff Writer
  • Monday, 12th November 2012

Olympique de Marseille midfielder Joey Barton admits that he is mystified by West Ham United captain Kevin Nolan's exclusion from the latest England squad.

Roy Hodgson's team face Sweden in a friendly in Gothenburg later this week and despite several players named in the initial 23-man squad pulling out over the weekend, West Ham's leading goalscorer continues to be overlooked.

Meanwhile players such as Crystal Palace's Wilfred Zaha - who is yet to play a single game in the Premier League - plus Arsenal's Carl Jenkinson and Tottenham's Tom Huddlestone have been included.

And that has mystified Barton, who moved to France in the summer having been let go by previous club Queens Park Rangers.

"It's good to see Leon Osman get a call up, about time," he told his 1.8million followers on social network Twitter. "But my brain is asking why no Kevin Nolan? Surely he warrants a call up more than most?

"On Premier League goals alone, consistently for the last eight years, he deserves at least a call up. I'm not on about [Liverpool's Raheem] Sterling, I'm on about Zaha. Not played in the Prem yet.

Nolan scored more Prem goals, yet don't get a look in? Baffles me. He should have had a call up years ago."

Also overlooked yet again is Nolan's team mate and fellow midfielder Mark Noble, another who has played a major part in leading West Ham to sixth place in the Premier League above teams such as Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool.

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