England manager Roy Hodgson has called for his young charges to step up against Norway this evening.
Long-serving centurions Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard retired from international football after the World Cup, and the Three Lions boss has named a relatively youthful squad for the friendly against the Scandinavians at Wembley.
Speaking to ITV Sport, he said: "We saw against Costa Rica that [the young players] have potential and the clock is now ticking for them, signalling the moment for them to prove their worth at the very highest level.
"You don't replace players like Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and John Terry overnight and leadership qualities take time to develop and only come through experience, which playing in big games brings.
"The young players will get their chances now and I fully believe that they will develop the quality England need in major tournaments in the future."
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Paul Gorst
