Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Nathan Dyer to stick neck out in England bid
NATHAN DYER is on a mission to swap his Premier League sticker collection for England caps.
Swansea winger Dyer has had a flying start to the season, but missed out on Roy Hodgson’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine.
But Dyer, following glowing praise from Rio Ferdinand on Twitter this term, can give Hodgson a major nudge when he faces England and Everton left-back Leighton Baines in the lunchtime kick-off today.
Uncapped Dyer, 24, said: “I want to play for my country, I’ve wanted to do that since I was young watching the Premier League and my heroes growing up.
I’d look for the shinys and players like Thierry Henry and Shaun Wright-Phillips who were my heroes
“Now I’m playing against them. In the first season you are in awe of them. I used to buy the players for my Merlin Premier League books and ask Mum, ‘Can I have 30p to buy a packet?’ Everyone did.
“I’d look for the shinys and players like Thierry Henry and Shaun Wright-Phillips who were my heroes. Of course, I’m happy to be getting mentioned with England – it’s nice. I’m playing well, but I have to keep going. It’s up to me to push as hard as I can.”