AVB: Spurs man can replace Chelsea star instead of Man City & Everton duo

Tottenham's Steven Caulker. Photo credit: Stephen Pond/EMPICS

Friday, October 5, 2012
2:19 PM

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas is certain that Steven Caulker has a long international career ahead of him despite being overlooked for Roy Hodgson’s latest England squad.

The question of who replaces newly-retired Chelsea skipper John Terry in the national team has been the source of great debate recently.

Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill and Joleon Lescott have all been mentioned as possible candidates, while Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross has also received a call up, but Villas-Boas thinks ex-Swansea loanee Caulker could be the long-term solution.

The 20-year-old has impressed Villas-Boas so much at White Hart Lane that he has jumped ahead of captain Michael Dawson in the Spurs pecking order.

“I think for Steven it will be a privilege to play for the first team of England, for sure,” said Villas-Boas.

“If it came sooner it would be a more important achievement, but I don’t see [him being left out] as any kind of negative.

“We certainly believe a lot in the player. That’s why we decided to extend his career and that’s why he played at Old Trafford and against Lazio.

“I think he is showing exactly the competence and the talent that he has and he will triumph in the future.

“[Whoever replaces Terry] is walking in the footsteps of probably the greatest English central defender in the last decade so it’s a difficult position for England.”