Ivan Toney earns first England call-up for games against Italy and Germany

Ivan Toney has been rewarded for his excellent Brentford form with a first call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad. The centre-forward is the newest face in a selection that also includes Eric Dier, who is picked for the first time since March 2021.

England will play Nations League ties against Italy in Milan on 23 September and Germany at Wembley three days later. They have started their campaign poorly with two defeats and two draws but the competition for World Cup places adds an extra level of jeopardy for those involved. In particular the inclusion of Toney, whose five top-flight goals this season include a hat-trick against Leeds this month, changes the complexion of the battle to travel as Harry Kane’s understudy.

Tammy Abraham, who keeps his place in a 28-strong squad, was subdued when given his chance in the home draw with Italy three months ago while Dominic Calvert-Lewin is injured and Ollie Watkins has faded from the picture. It means Toney, who scored 12 times in his first Premier League campaign last season, can stake a strong claim for Qatar 2022 if he impresses in the next fortnight.

“We have been tracking him for a long time,” Southgate said of Toney. “I had a good chat with Thomas Frank about him last season. His form and his qualities – not only his goalscoring but his technical ability, buildup play and aerial prowess – give us a different threat to some of the other players we could pick.”

Goalkeepers Dean Henderson (Nottingham Forest), Nick Pope (Newcastle), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw