Hodgson keeps England door open

The Three Lions manager opted for promoting youth in this week's friendly against Sweden, with strikers Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck and promising Crystal Palace youngster Wilfried Zaha included in the squad.

However, Hodgson insisted his attacking options would remain open as he plots safe qualification for Brazil, who will come to Wembley for a prestigious friendly in February ahead of the next competitive fixture away to minnows San Marino on 22 March.

England boss Hodgson took part in a wide-ranging question-and-answer session in a Football Nights event organised by Delia's Canary Catering at Carrow Road and was quizzed as to why he had so far overlooked Norwich skipper Holt, who netted 15 Barclays Premier League goals last season.

Hodgson said: "You understand when you are a national team coach that you have a job of picking 20 players for a squad and there are a lot of fans around the country who feel their team is disadvantaged because they do not have a representative, that is not to say their representatives are not good enough.

"In the case of your man, Grant Holt, of course there is no reason a man like him with the abilities he has could not play for England.

"But the problem for me is there are a lot of other players who can play for England as well with maybe different characteristics. Sometimes you have to take all these things into account.

"It can also be a question of what particular time you are playing and who your competitors are.

"I have not made any strong judgments for or against players like Grant, or players of the same sort of ability as him.

"Lambert at Southampton is often mentioned, and he is a player who has had a similar career [to Holt], done fantastically well to come through the lower leagues and prove themselves at every level.

"[West Ham striker] Andy Carroll of course is another player in that category and he has been in the England squad."

Hodgson added: "The last time we played I went down a slightly different route, but that is not to say I will never go back to a route where I am looking for a player of Carroll's stature, of Holt's stature, of Lambert's stature, and then these players will come very much once again into consideration."