Former England striker Alan Shearer has looked to pour cold water on calls for Andy Carroll to be selected for England’s Euro 2016 squad.
The West Ham striker bagged a hat-trick in Saturday’s 3-3 thriller at the Boleyn Ground against Arsenal, causing havoc among the Gunners defence.
It has seen calls for the striker to be recalled to the national setup, with 64% of Standard Sport readers believing Carroll deserves his place in France this summer, following a poll over the weekend.
But Shearer, who worked with Carroll during their time at Newcastle United, believes it’s premature to consider him for selection, before citing his injury record.
“There is no doubt he would offer us a different option,” wrote Shearer in his column for the Sun.
“I was with him at Newcastle so I know the ability he has — when he gets the right delivery he is unplayable. But we have seen that ability for three or four games in a row before, then he goes and gets injured.
“That has always been the case with Andy and that is why, at this moment in time, he should not be considered for England,” he continued.
West Ham's all-time England XI
“He has had one good game but plenty of other English strikers have been doing it all season and are rightly ahead of him. Yes, if he can stay fit and go on a scoring run for the next six games, the Euros question could maybe be asked again.
“But it remains a very big if because history tells you that an injury is just around the corner.”
