Arsene Wenger would be tempted to tell the England manager to "Hang on, Roy!" if Calum Chambers is called up for next month's internationals.
The 19-year-old has been one of the stars of Arsenal's summer after signing from Southampton in July, and made assured debuts in the Premier League and Champions League in the past week.
Wenger has been particularly impressed by how Chambers handles the pressure at the highest level but he admits he would be in two minds if Roy Hodgson picked the teenager to face Norway at Wembley on September 3 or Switzerland in the European Championship qualifier five days later.
"He has played three games and I think it is important for the development of the players that it doesn’t go too fast"
"I will say 'Hang on, Roy', yes!" smiled the Arsenal manager.
"It's very difficult for me to say that because I do not want to stop Chambers. Every player dreams to play for England. I do not want to say that he is not to be selected. I'm very happy if Calum Chambers is selected for England.
"What I mean is, that the player gets the opportunity to show he good he is is fantastic. That the player gets the feeling they have already made it is much more dangerous. I think Chambers is intelligent enough to make a difference in that because he has only played two or three games at centre back at the top level.
"He has done extremely well. But I think as well in England you have to be a bit more patient. He has played three games and I think it is important for the development of the players that it doesn’t go too fast.
"Not so much on the football front but psychologically as well. That players feel that hurdle after hurdle they feel stronger and it doesn’t go too quick for them. For me that is something that is very important in development."
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
