Fabio Capello : I’m spoilt for choice
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Fabio: I’m spoilt for choice
DILEMMA ... Fabio CapelloFABIO CAPELLO reckons he will have too many players to choose from for the Euro 2012 finals.
And the England boss says that is just how he wants it.
An influx of youngsters has put the pressure on the old guard after the successes over Spain and Sweden.
There are around 40 players in contention for the finals and Capello admits it will be hard selecting the 23 to go to Poland and Ukraine.
There are 13 midfielders under consideration, including Gareth Barry.
The Italian said: "I've got a lot of players.
"I hope by the end of the season it will be tough for me to choose the best 23 but it is better to have this problem than no players.
"For the World Cup we had the old players with the experience.
"Now we have got the young players and I think when we play the Euros it will be better than now.
"They can improve because they are young and can get more experience by playing Champions League and playing more important games.
"But experience is really important on the pitch. You need experience.
"There is a good spirit with the younger players and we've had good victories. We have something new and it is very interesting.
"But I'm not thinking about the squad at the moment because I know it is really difficult to choose the players now."
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Jones is already a legend
NEW STAR ... Phil JonesFABIO CAPELLO cannot get enough of Phil Jones.
The England boss wants him to play him at centre-half, right-back, holding midfielder and attacking midfielder.
Who knows maybe he will even try Jones as a striker before his preparations for the Euros 2012 finals this summer are complete.
Manchester United's 19-year-old sensation has emerged from the friendly victories over Spain and Sweden as the leader of the young guns.
The old order is under threat and, in Jones, Capello believes he has found a player who can adapt in a way none of the experienced men he relied on previously could do.
Capello reckons he has only come across two similar players in his long career — Italian legend Franco Baresi and Spanish ace Fernando Hierro.
Baresi played 82 times for Italy, and enjoyed a 20-year career at AC Milan, where Capello was his manager for five years.
He won six league titles and a treble of European Cups as a stylish sweeper, a position which seems to have been abolished in the modern game.
Hierro earned 89 caps and played more than 500 games for Real Madrid in defence and midfield.
LEGEND ... Franco BaresiHe lifted three European Cups and five league titles, one of which came under Capello in 1997 during the Italian's first spell at the club.Hierro brought his genius to England for the final year of his career where he played for Bolton and is still a hero to fans at The Reebok.
Capello had never seen another footballer like those two — before he set eyes on Jones. The Three Lions chief admitted: "Yes, it is difficult to find a player like him, really difficult.
"In my career I found probably two players like that. They were Franco Baresi and Fernando Hierro who played as midfielders and after they played centre-half and I think were really good players.
"Jones can play in different positions at the top level.
"He is so young but he is a big talent because when he receives the ball he always plays without fear. Good passes and good solutions. Every time he chooses the best solution.
"I know something about football and the solution that he chooses every time when he receives the ball is always the best."
Jones made his England debut at right-back in Montenegro last month, played in a forward midfield role in the hard-earned win against world champions Spain and was defensive midfielder for the 1-0 success against Sweden on Tuesday.
Yet the youngster himself believes his best position is central defender and Capello has yet to give him a go there.
Capello added: "For me the Sweden game was really important to see Jones play in front of the back four.
"That is because if Scott Parker will not be fit I will have a solution. He can play every other position but for me it was a really important test for him. I'm lucky and happy because Jones and Jack Rodwell have shown they are really good players.
"They can play against all the teams and play with the seniors without problems. And you know when you play with young players, they put something on the pitch, something new, something more."
Jones appears a very level-headed young man.
Last week he was astonished that anyone could even suggest footballers got scared when they went out for big games.
He loves it, the bigger the game, the better. Since his £16.5million move from Blackburn to United in the summer, Jones has quickly settled in and become established in the first-team mix in that variety of positions.
But Sam Allardyce — Jones' former club boss at Blackburn — believes the player poses too much of a threat going forward to be restricted.
The West Ham manager said: "He has outstanding ability on the ball.
"I think right-back might be even better for him because his attacking flair and attacking qualities are equally as good as his defensive qualities.
"He was very unfortunate not to score against Sweden and that shows playing him at centre-half might suppress him." Last week Jones said: "What have I got to worry about? I am competing against the best players in the Premier League and all over the world.
"When you play for a club like United you are in the limelight all the time and when you play for England you are in the limelight all the time.
"You have to be able to deal with that in the right way. I think I do that. I let my football do the talking and hopefully my performances show I am good enough to be in the England side."
A week on, Jones' reputation continues to grow.
Capello clearly rates him in esteemed company — but you get the feeling he will take it all in his elegant stride.