England manager Roy Hodgson feels the sparkling form of Raheem Sterling and the re-emergence of Wilfried Zaha could leave him spoilt for choice in wide areas at the World Cup.
Sterling, 19, has produced some scintillating displays for Liverpool in recent weeks, notably scoring twice in the 5-1 demolition of Arsenal last weekend that relaunched his side’s Premier League title challenge.
Zaha, meanwhile, is belatedly enjoying some first-team action after joining Cardiff City on loan from Manchester United last month.
Sterling made his England debut in a 4-2 friendly defeat away to Sweden in November 2012, but he vanished from view in the second half of the 2012/13 campaign as Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers elected to rest him.
The move has paid off in spectacular fashion this season and Hodgson has been delighted by Sterling’s return to form.
“It’s a re-emergence in a way, because when we opened the stadium in Stockholm (against Sweden), he’d burst into the Liverpool team then and was doing fantastically well,” Hodgson said.
“And then he lost his place for a while, almost disappeared off the scene, so he wasn’t on the radar to quite the same extent.
“Since he’s got back in the Liverpool team, his form seems to be going up and up and up. What it means is, we do have competition in the wide areas.
“There are wide players right and wide players left. People like him emerging and doing as well as he is in a top, top team just puts a lot of pressure on everybody else, really.
“Because if you can do it at the top of the table at Liverpool, then you can do it in an England shirt as well.”
Zaha got his first taste of international football in the same game as Sterling, but he made only two league appearances for United this season following a close-season switch from Crystal Palace.
His loan move to Cardiff has given him a second chance, however, and he has started in three consecutive games for the Welsh club.
Hodgson has been enthused by the 21-year-old’s performances, and cites 19-year-old Norwich City winger Nathan Redmond as further cause for optimism about England’s options on the flanks.
“Now you’ve got the boy Zaha back in the frame again, I suppose. He’s playing football at Cardiff after his time out,” Hodgson said.
“Redmond is back in at Norwich, doing very, very well. (Alex) Oxlade-Chamberlain coming back, Aaron Lennon still there, so we’re not short of candidates.
“It’s going to be a choice at the end of the day: how many of that type of player do I want to include in the squad? It’s very good for me, I think.”
Hodgson, who also namechecked Sunderland winger Adam Johnson, will reveal his next England squad on February 27, ahead of a friendly game against Denmark at Wembley Stadium the following week.
England have been drawn alongside Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica in Group D at the World Cup in Brazil, which begins on June 12.
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The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
