Kyle Walker: 'Phil Jagielka is my hero'

Tottenham Hotspur defender Kyle Walker has admitted that his England teammate Phil Jagielka was one of his heroes while growing up.

The 22-year-old is expected to line up alongside the Everton man when the Three Lions take on San Marino at Wembley on Friday.

"I'm a Sheffield United boy, so it was Brian Deane and then when I fell back into defence it was Phil Jagielka - he was a hero of mine," The Sun quotes Walker as saying.

"He was at Sheffield United when they went up to the Premiership and I signed my scholarship. But then we got relegated and he moved to Everton - that was just as I was coming through.

"I've never told him he was a hero as I don't want to make his head too big."

England go into Friday's World Cup qualifier in third place in Group H, level on points with Poland and the Ukraine, with a win and a draw from their opening games.