Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson has arrived at St George’s Park for England duty ahead of the World Cup.
The 30-year-old was named in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad last week for the tournament in Qatar. It is the first time he has been called up since 2019, back when he was a Bournemouth player.
But Wilson has battled to get back in the England squad, and his form for Newcastle has been rewarded with a place on the plane for Qatar.
The Premier League only ended on Sunday, but already players are arriving at England’s base before flying to the middle east.
Wilson has been pictured linking up with his international teammates for the first time, and has already been seen sharing a joke with 23-year-old Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount.
Just two days ago they went head to head in a match at St James’ Park that ended in fisticuffs. Less than 48 hours later and they’re suddenly teammates, ready to represent their country. And you can guarantee Wilson had something to say about what happened on Saturday night!
Wilson welcomed back into the England fold
This time next week, England’s World Cup campaign will get underway. Southgate’s side take on Iran on Monday November 21st.
There isn’t a lot of time to prepare, so the sooner the group gets together the better. The players are linking up at St George’s Park today, before flying to Qatar tomorrow.
Wilson has a seat on the plane, and he will be joined by two Toon teammates in Nick Pope and Kieran Trippier. They will also be joined by James Maddison, who has been heavily linked with a move to St James’ Park. He has also been recalled to the England squad after his fine form for Leicester.
For Wilson, this England callup is a reward for the hard work he has put in this season. He has overcame injury problems to earn his place in the squad, and fully deserves it.
While Ivan Toney sent Southgate a message at the weekend with a brace against Manchester City, that is no reflection on Wilson. While the Newcastle number nine doesn’t have as many goals as Toney, he has been equally as impressive.
Six goals in 11 games is an excellent tally for Wilson, and he will now hope to score for his country in Qatar.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
