Callum Wilson should have received first England call-up two years ago… but he’s ready to make up for lost time

Fine form | Callum Wilson is ready to make his mark for England
Getty Images
Jack Rosser @JackRosser_9 November 2018

Callum Wilson’s name is on the England squad list at last. It is perhaps two years later than expected, but it could well be just the beginning for a striker who has overcome more than many to get to this point.

The Bournemouth forward is back to his best after a gut-wrenching start to life as a Premier League player.

Three years ago Wilson arrived in the top flight with four goals in his first four games, bagging his first Premier League strikes with a hat-trick at West Ham as Bournemouth claimed their first points following promotion.

He had five in seven and was on course for an England call-up before a disastrous knee injury away at Stoke changed all of that. Manager Eddie Howe described it as a ‘massive blow’ at the time, but even that undersells exactly what lay in store over the next two years.

The start | Callum Wilson clutches his knee following a first ACL injury at Stoke in 2015
Getty Images

There are many who never recover from an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury, Wilson has come back from two in the space of just 16 months. Across two seasons, the striker spent 450 days injured and unavailable to make his mark on the Premier League.

The 26-year-old, though, is seemingly making up for that now. Wilson’s game is built on strength and speed, attributes which take long enough to return after just the one knee injury. As if he were calling back to his first season following promotion, Wilson announced his return from injury last year with a hat-trick at Huddersfield, but he still wasn’t the same player who stunned in those early games in 2015.

His approach, though, has never changed. Those who know him best talk of a striker who, regardless of the circumstances, puts his all into each and every training session or challenge, all done with a beaming smile and relentless, infectious positive attitude.

The hard work behind the scenes is beginning to shine through on matchdays. Wilson has six goals and five assists already this season as, despite their defeat at the weekend, Bournemouth continue to hold Manchester United out of the top six.

Callum Wilson

Premier League record

2015-16    P 13 G 5

2016-17    P 20 G 6

2017-18    28 G 8

2018-19    P 11 G 6

With the retirement of Jamie Vardy after the World Cup, the door is now open at the top table for Wilson to prove his worth. His pace, vision and finishing ability leave a defence at any level knowing they’ve come through a battle at full time and, with captain Harry Kane having struggled after a busy summer, Wilson is an ideal option to lighten the load over the coming years.

His return to form comes as no surprise to those on the south coast who have watched his battle back from injury and, while some feel chances at international level would have come quicker if he were at a bigger club, there is no doubt he had to be in the conversation.

“He is certainly going to be in Gareth’s mind, I have no doubt about that,” Howe recently said of his striker.

Southgate, who worked with Wilson at U21 level, added on Thursday: "He's a threat in terms of running in behind defences.

"He's been involved with either scoring or assists, with a high number of goals this season, so it's a good opportunity for us to have a look at him and see how he fits into what we do, and for him to get a feel of working with the senior team."

His time at international level has come far later than he would have expected following that flying start three years ago. However, with Vardy’s retirement from the Three Lions stage coming as Wilson moves into his peak, while the fanfare will be around the farewell to one great England striker, it may well be the start of the journey for another.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in