GLENN Hoddle hasn't been pestered by Roy Hodgson this week, even though Blackburn Rovers' charge to the top of the Premiership has prompted thoughts of England selection for some of the Ewood stars.
Hoddle is due to announce his squad to face Moldova in the next World Cup qualifier tomorrow.
But Rovers boss Hodgson made it crystal clear that he would not be trying to pressure the national coach into favouring his players.
Wingers Stuart Ripley and Jason Wilcox both have one England cap apiece, handed to them by Graham Taylor and Terry Venables respectively, and were outstanding against Sheffield Wednesday on Monday night.
So too was Chris Sutton, who has England B representative honours but has never played for the senior international side.
But Alan Shearer's absence and Sutton's scintillating start - five goals in four games - might have rung a few bells at Lancaster Gate.
The international, on Wednesday, September 10, may have come a fraction too early for Tim Flowers, as he is not yet 100 per cent fit even though he will be first choice at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Hodgson will be more than pleased for any of his players who make the squad but they will have done it off their own bat.
As he explained: "I must announce my colours very early. I was four years a national team manager and one of the things you hate most of all is parochial people in every part of the country telling you 'My player is the best there is'.
"I have great faith in Glenn Hoddle and his people to make their judgments and if Stuart Ripley was selected for England no-one would be happier than me. "But I shall be the last man ever to push the claim of any player, because I think that's the national team manager's job.
"It's my job to pick a team for Blackburn Rovers and I hope I am not going to fall into the trap of answering questions and giving people like Hoddle advice as to who should be in and who shouldn't."
Rather than concentrate on the players who have put themselves in the spotlight with their great start, Hodgson emphasised that other contributions were just as important.
And he picked out a couple of those who have found themselves on the fringe of the side in the early matches.
"It's very easy for players who have the confidence of the coach and who are playing well at the moment to speak well of the coach and the club," he said.
"But it takes character if you find yourself on the bench, the team's still winning and you've got to watch and see other people showing some qualities.
"At the moment, I would be much more inclined to sing the praises of an Anders Andersson who came here as a Swedish international and regarded as the best player in the Swedish League.
"He has come here and sometimes he's not even in the 16. "Yet, every day, he gets on with his job and does a marvellous job in training.
"Lars Bohinen is another example. Garry Flitcroft and Billy McKinlay have kept him out but he has kept his head down and every time he goes on he has given a great performance.
"I would like to sing the praises of these players.
"Stuart Ripley and Jason Wilcox are getting plenty of praise at the moment and it's fully deserved as well.
"But if we are to do anything, it will be because there are people like Bohinen and Andersson. People who are unselfish enough to put the team before their own desires and take a lot of pleasure from the fact that they are playing for a team at the top of the league.
"That's the most important thing for us."
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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