‘England’s best left-sided centre back’ Matty Upson (or so says Steve Bruce) has revealed his determination to force his way back into the England squad.
Despite slipping down the national pecking order, Upson still believes he can be involved in Germany, but tellingly has spoken of his worry of this not happening as a member of an unsuccessful team.
‘It always helps if you are playing in a successful team. You’re going to be talked about and looked at differently,’ he said. ‘The media have a part to play in it but it helps when your team are doing well. It’s a big few months for me and I definitely want to be involved with England.’
Upson also revealed he was pleased with his current form, despite Blues shipping 19 goals in 15 games, and how he hopes playing at left-back will help his chances:
‘All I know is that at the moment I’m pleased about the way I am going about my job.
‘I don’t think playing at left-back recently – and showing I can do a job there – can do my England chances any damage. It’s always good to show people that you can adapt and play in different positions.
‘That is always to your advantage. Playing there is not something I particularly enjoy but I do it to help the team.’
These comments may well come as something of a worry. Upson clearly would like to part of a more successful team, and without Blues experiencing any success this season, Upson’s World Cup chances currently look slim. Couple this with his complaints about being played out of position and the fact that no progress has been made on contract talks, it seems possible that Upson may be on his way in January if we recieve any decent offers, unless Steve Bruce can do some major persuading between now and the transfer window.
