Jagielka spots opening in defence

Phil Jagielka wants to prove he is the answer to Roy Hodgson’s defensive headache as England prepare to embark on what the Everton centre-back describes as a “great new era”.

With Rio Ferdinand confirming his international retirement and John Terry seemingly out of the equation for good, Hodgson now has a pool of five defenders from which he must mould a centre-half pairing that is good enough to perform at the World Cup.

Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have struggled with injury this season and Joleon Lescott has not played regularly at Manchester City, leaving Jagielka and Chelsea’s Gary Cahill as the front-runners for the two vacant spots.