Roy Hodgson announced his squad for the Euros today and it was met with both acceptance and disappointment as every squad announcement is.

Hodgson picked a 26 man squad for the upcoming friendlies knowing that he will be forced to drop another three men before he boards the plane for France, but there are a number of players not even up for consideration who he could easily have taken. 

Let's take a look at some of the players who Hodgson has decided to leave at home for the Euros to spectate with the rest of the nation. 

Theo Walcott

Arguably the biggest name to miss out on selection is Arsenal's Theo Walcott, a player who has been involved in the England squad ever since bursting onto the scene, but after a disappointing season personally Hodgson has made the decision to go for other options.

With such high competition for places in the striking department after the surprise success of Jamie Vardy and the continued good form of Harry Kane, Walcott has hardly had a look in, with Marcus Rashford instead being given a chance.

However, the fact that the Arsenal man can also play on the wing and is, therefore, more flexible to fit into Hodgson's plans makes the decision even more surprising. Still, after struggling to fit into the team in recent friendlies most fans weren't shocked at his omission.

Walcott himself admitted to being "disappointed" at not making the squad via Twitter, but wished the squad well for the tournament. 

Walcott has struggled to make an impact this season. Photo- www.Mirror.co.uk
Walcott has struggled to make an impact this season. (Photo: Mirror)

Jermain Defoe

Another striker who was up for contention was Sunderland's Jermain Defoe.

At 33 years of age, Defoe is no spring chicken but his goals and performances have kept the Black Cats afloat and his experience and knowledge is something that only Wayne Rooney can offer to the team up front.

Defoe's natural goal scoring instincts have never been in question and are something the team has lacked since Micheal Owen's days in the squad. 

However, it is clear from his selections that Hodgson is looking for a younger approach to his side and Defoe's absence in the squad after such an impressive season could be a sign that his international career is all but finished.   

Defoe's experience wasn't enough. Photo- www.theguardian.com
Defoe's experience wasn't enough. (Photo: The Guardian)

Mark Noble

Few players have enjoyed a better season that Mark Noble.

With West Ham United flying high and performing to a high-level, Noble has been at the center of everything. For years the midfielder has gone under the radar, unnoticed by the masses despite consistently great performances becoming a regular trait that seemingly only the Hammers faithful were witness too. 

That was until this season, when finally the rest of the Premier League caught on; the media, the football fans and Roy Hodgson.

After an impressive season, people thought Noble had done enough to get a call-up and sneak a place into the England squad, but instead Hodgson has chosen to take a risk on both Jordan Henderson and Jack Wilshere. Both men are just coming back from serious injuries and have a lack of match fitness heading into the summer's tournament, but their experience playing at an international level compared to Noble seems to have been enough to sway Hodgson's decision. 

Noble has enjoyed his greatest ever season. Photo- kumb.com
Noble has arguably enjoyed his greatest ever season. (Photo: Kumb)

Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines

The Everton defenders have both missed out on selection for the Euros after what has been an underwhelming season for both men, and the club.

Whilst John Stones may have gained his first ever tournament selection following what has been a shaky season, the more experienced Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka have not.

For Jagielka, the news will have been bitterly disappointing. After featuring in the squad regularly under Hodgson the experienced centre-back was expected to find himself on the plane, but instead Hodgson made the decision to take an extra midfielder and leave him behind. 

Baines, on the other hand, hasn't been a regular under Hodgson recently and therefore the news probably came as less of a surprise to him.

As one of England's best left backs for the last 10 years, Baines spent his time in the shadow of Ashley Cole, struggling to get a look in when it came to international football. Unfortunately for him, it seems now that Cole has retired from England duties, fresh faces in the form of Danny Rose and Ryan Bertrand have arrived and are not prepared to wait for their chance to shine. 

The Everton duo missed out on a seat on the plane. Photo- www.theguardian.com
The Everton duo have missed out on a seat on the plane. (Photo: The Guardian)

With three friendlies before the Euros, Roy Hodgson will now assess the squad he has chosen to determine which 23 he will take to France and three more men will be forced to watch from afar. 

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About the author
Matthew Wilkinson
Huddersfield University in Sports Journalism. Twitter- MC_Wilkinson1