Pearce: We must prove our strength

England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce believes his squad for tonight's friendly against Slovenia is one of the strongest he has ever had.

Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, who struck a hat-trick against Manchester City on Sunday, is in the squad alongside Tottenham's Tom Huddlestone, City's Micah Richards and Middlesbrough's David Wheater.

Pearce has now challenged the players to show their ability at the KC Stadium. "It's a very strong squad and now we need to deliver a performance which indicates that strength," said Pearce.

"We have a lot of players with experience."

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