Former Bristol Rovers striker named in England squad to face Wales

Former Bristol Rovers striker James Daly is in line to represent the England national team - after being included in a 25-man squad for the international period this month.

Daly could pull on the England shirt, after he was named by Paul Fairclough in a preliminary squad to face Wales at Altrincham on Tuesday, March 21. A non-league Three Lions team, which has been in existence since 1979, offers the chance for those to represent their country when they might not get the chance at senior level.

The 23-year-old is at National League outfit Woking, returning to the non-league scene after a brief loan spell with seventh-tier Kingstonian in 2018. He has scored seven goals in 31 matches for the Surrey-based side, who are currently third behind Wrexham and Notts County, and are on course for a play-off spot.

England’s 25-man squad will be whittled down to 16, and the full squad will be announced on Saturday, March 10, after the latest round of league fixtures are concluded. Daly will have a chance against Oldham Athletic tomorrow, and against Maidenhead United to persuade Fairclough he deserves a place in the team.

The Brighton-born forward spent a season-and-a-half at the Memorial Stadium, joining from Crystal Palace in January 2020 after being signed by Ben Garner. Daly took eight months before scoring his first goal for the club and then went on to score three more games, leaving with four efforts in 35 matches. He left for Stevenage on a free transfer in the summer of 2021, and later reunited with former Gas boss Paul Tisdale for a brief period.

England’s 25-man preliminary squad to face Wales

Goalkeepers

Sam Howes - Wealdstone, Magnus Norman - Oldham Athletic, Harrison Male - Worthing

Defenders

Tyler Cordner - Aldershot Town, Vince Harper - Eastleigh, Harry Phipps - Dagenham & Redbridge, Kenton Richardson - Gateshead, Dan Gallagher - Dorking Wanderers, Jesse Debrah - FC Halifax Town

Midfielders

Josh Lundstram - Altrincham, Darren Oldaker - Chesterfield, James Daly - Woking, Ryan De Havilland - Barnet, Regan Booty - Maidstone United, Matty Worthington - Yeovil Town, James Vennings - Bromley, Gus Scott-Morriss - Southend United, Olly Dyson - York City

Forwards

Dennon Lewis - Boreham Wood, Cameron Wilson - Scunhtorpe United, Sam Dalby - Wrexham, Emile Acquah - Maidenhead United, Joe Sbarra - Solihull Moors, Macaulay Langstaff - Notts County, Aaron Jarvis - Torquay United