Pundits agree about Aston Villa's Jacob Ramsey as shock prediction made

Ex-Aston Villa players turned pundits Paul Merson and Gabriel Agbonlahor agree that Jacob Ramsey could force his way into England's 2022 Qatar World Cup squad.

The Villa youngster has been in stunning form this season and has contributed to seven goals this season, netting six and assisting one in 27 league appearances. While he was given the odd start here and there under Dean Smith last season, this really has been the midfielder's breakthrough year as he cements himself as one of the first names on Steven Gerrard's team sheet.

Ramsey came close to receiving his first senior England call-up this month for the friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast, but was left out of Gareth Southgate's squad for the time being. Asked whether Ramsey had entered his thinking at his squad announcement press conference, Three Lions boss Southgate told "Yeah, absolutely, I think Jacob is doing really well. I think at this moment in time Conor Gallagher is slightly ahead.

"They are both pushing Jude (Bellingham), who has been in our squad for a while. Those two are really pushing Jude, there’s no doubt about that, and pushing some of the older players in that group as well.

"That’s an area where Curtis Jones is also emerging at Liverpool. There are some good attacking midfield players that are good at pressing the opposition and look like they can take goals as well."

And Villa's all-time top Premier League goalscorer Agbonlahor thinks Ramsey can make the cut for Southgate's crucial World Cup squad later this year. He said: "There’s no reason why he can’t still make the World Cup squad, Jacob. If he carries on the way he’s playing, he keeps the way he’s scoring goals and what he’s doing in games, if I was him I wouldn’t rule out