How absence made Scott Dann's rep stronger, and why Wilshere but no Walcott for U-21s?

By Oliver Holt

Published 23:31 17/05/11

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Birmingham's Scott Dann has got better and better in the last five months - without playing a game.

Before he was ruled out for the rest of the season in January, Dann was often damned with faint praise when compared to his central defensive partner Roger Johnson.

That's changed now.

Birmingham's season went into free-fall without Dann and Johnson has looked ragged as his team has slid towards relegation.

Dann is not underrated any more. In fact, it is likely he will be a target for leading Premier League clubs this summer.

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One thing puzzles me about England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce's attempt to justify taking Jack Wilshere to the age-group's European Championship this summer.

Pearce says it's irrelevant that Wilshere is now first choice in central midfield for the full England team and that he wants to take his best available players.

If that's the case, why isn't Theo Walcott going to Denmark, too? He's still eligible, after all.

Could it be, perhaps, that his presence might be rather uncomfortable for the FA.

After all, when they forced Walcott to go to Sweden for the Under-21s' Euros two years ago, his next season for Arsenal was wrecked by injury and he missed out on the World Cup.

He was, effectively, a Wilshere prototype. Now the FA are making the same mistake again.

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