Arsenal duo called up for England – Smith Rowe & White miss out

For all the brilliant players to have graced Arsenal Football Club over the past 15 years, precious few have been England regulars. During that timeframe the most involvement from the red half of north London has been Theo Walcott, which is no great surprise.

In fact, since 2006 there have only been nine Arsenal players who’ve won England caps, with four making ten or fewer appearances. Take a minute and see if you can list them all. The answers will be revealed at the end.

But the focus is instead on those who can boost that number up. And, despite some inspired form from three of Arsenal’s exciting English core, Aaron Ramsdale, Benjamin White and Emile Smith Rowe, only one has been called up to Gareth Southgate’s latest Three Lions squad.

Ramsdale is one of the form goalkeepers in the Premier League at present with only four goals conceded since taking the number one spot, including 24 saves from his 28 faced. That doesn’t tell the whole story, of course, as some stunning saves are mirrored by even better distribution. He’s doing things with his feet Ederson could only dream of.

Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale & called up to England national squad by Gareth Southgate as Ben White and Smith Rowe miss out

As for Smith Rowe, he has five goal involvements in ten league outings after his strike at Leicester, the same as Mason Mount, one more than Foden, two more than Jack Grealish and more than Lingard, Sterling, Maddison and Sancho combined. Southgate revealed he was on the cusp of a call-up last time, so he will count himself unfortunate not to be included. His time will come, though (the extra rest is welcome, too).

White was another player overlooked by Southgate in the recent squad announcement, a decision he has decided to keep despite seeing the 24-year-old forge part of an outstanding centre-back pairing with Gabriel that has helped Arsenal on their way to a nine-match unbeaten run.

As capable of playing up on the half way line and he is deep in his own box, his wonderful ability to carry the ball like a midfielders is his superpower. Harry Maguire tries, but he really can’t match it. Form doesn’t factor in, it seems, as Tyrone Mings has been selected despite being dropped by Dean Smith in a struggling Villans side.

Nonetheless, Ramsdale joins England regular Bukayo Saka in heading to St George’s Park once Arsenal take care of Watford in the Premier League on Sunday.

With matches against Albania and San Marino to come, England need four points to secure top spot in the group, albeit looking like they should, quite easily, secure six. Away at San Marino would have been the best possible opportunity for Smith Rowe to make their senior debut, although Ramsdale will surely be in with a chance of making his first Three Lions outing.

If it’s form we’re looking at, there is a strong claim for his involvement against Albania, too.

Should Ramsdale win a cap over the coming break then he will become the 63rd player to represent England while playing for Arsenal, joining the aforementioned nine since 2006. Got them yet?

They are: Carl Jenkinson, Calum Chambers, Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and, of course, Bukayo Saka.