Bertrand Has Chance To Make England Left Back Spot His Own Monday, 16th Nov 2015 09:53 Ryan Bertrand has the opportunity to not only go to the European Championships in France next summer but to make the England left back spot his own. When Ryan Bertrand joined Saints for the start of the 2014/15 season he was a player very much in limbo, although at Chelsea he had played in a Champions League final and had won an England cap, he started his his time at Saints by celebrating his 25th birthday and looking back on a career at Stamford Bridge that had seen him start only 21 Premier League games plus 7 as sub for his parent club with another 16 on loan at Aston Villa. Although he had had plenty of experience in lower divisions in a series of loans, is reputation was not great and it was wondered whether he would become another of those Chelsea youth prodigy's who never fill their potential and drift into the Championship and lower. So when he arrived at St Mary's he was at a definite crossroads in his career. He took the chance offered with both hands and in his first season was voted into the PFA Premier League team of the year and perhaps should have got the player of the year award at Saints, in my opinion he was a better player than Luke Shaw, the ex Saints man had potential that was for sure, but Bertrand was that much more experienced and developed. A second cap for England, three years after the first perhaps told Ryan that he had made the right choice moving to Saints. Now he has grasped the opportunity to make the left back spot for his country his own, injuries to both Leighton Baines and Luke Shaw have let him in and the other candidate Danny Rose has not been in the best of form for his club, this means that Bertrand has six caps to his name with a seventh likely against France on Tuesday evening. A year ago his chances of going to Euro 2016 looked slim, the aforementioned trio were all ahead of him in the pecking order, but now not only does he look likely to be part of the squad, but he could well be the first choice. Leighton Baines will return from injury very soon, but will having turned 31 in the December of this year perhaps be in the twilight of his England career, he faces an uphill battle to regain fitness and form in the second half of the season. Bertrand's other main rival is of course ex Saint Luke Shaw, but since leaving St Mary's Shaw has suffered not only from several long term injuries but a lack of form, meaning that he has only started 20 Premier League games for United plus 1 as sub. That is well under half of those he could have played, but it is not just the injury, he has struggled to adapt to the way that United play, he does not have the speed of fitness to be a wing back type of player, he is comfortable in a standard back four and his attacking play leaves a lot to be desired in terms of delivery. At the moment Shaw is in the England reckoning purely on reputation rather than form, the same reason that United spent so much on a player without considering whether his style of play suited theirs. On the other hand Bertrand excels going forward, he has genuine pace and can create chances, at Saints Shaw had one assist to his name in 60 Premier games and has yet to score in any competition for either of his clubs. Bertrand in contrast has scored twice for Saints and his attacking play has seen him gain a number of assists not to mention numerous other pieces of play that have led to goals. All in all Ryan Bertrand goes into Tuesday night's friendly with France knowing that his International future is in his own hands, another commanding display for the Three Lions followed by keeping up his superb form for Saints will surely mean that not only he will be a certainty for the squad but he could well be the first choice. But he also needs to keep his feet on the ground, he like many other Saints players both current and past have found that they can get in their countries squads playing for Southampton, indeed most have found that leaving St Mary's harms their careers not enhances it, Ryan Bertrand is following in their footsteps, if he keeps grounded and realises just what has got him in this position and respects that, he will surely continue to prosper. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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