Soccer: Smith told to get a grip

Sven-Goran Eriksson will warn striker Alan Smith to control his temperament if he is called into the England squad tomorrow - but will not attempt to remove all the aggression from the heart of his game.

Smith’s reckless dismissal in the final minute of Leeds’ Champions League defeat in Valencia does not appear to have harmed his chances of returning to the senior set-up.

With Andy Cole suspended, the 20-year-old is set to be called up to the England squad being named by Eriksson for the friendly against Mexico and the World Cup qualifier in Greece.

And while Eriksson will take him aside for a chat, Smith could make his senior debut as a substitute in next week’s game at Pride Park. While Emile Heskey and Robbie Fowler are favourites to partner Michael Owen, Eriksson’s right-hand man, Tord Grip, insisted that the overworked Anfield contingent would not be pushed too hard.

Grip, who also revealed the England staff would make sure the Manchester United players in the squad had not lost their edge after winning the title so early, has followed Leeds’ Champions League campaign this season.

Smith may have betrayed his suspect temperament with his late red card in Valencia, just as he did with the England Under-21 team earlier this season, but Grip has overwhelmingly been impressed.

‘‘Alan Smith is a young player and an aggressive player. It’s important for him to be on that aggressive level but not to go over the level so that he is sent off,’’ he declared.

‘‘But I think he will learn that. He needs to be taught or helped in these things. If you don’t make mistakes when you are young, when are you going to make them?

‘‘It shouldn’t be, I hope it won’t be, any problem. He is good when he is playing like that, he is that kind of player. You can’t take all these things or then he won’t be Alan Smith.’’

The 20-year-old striker was first called up by Kevin Keegan as a late replacement for the friendly in France in September last year and sat on the bench in Paris. He was also summoned by caretaker coach Peter Taylor for the friendly in Italy last November but had to pull out through injury and has not yet been called up by Eriksson to the senior squad.

Grip added: ‘‘Sven has met him and I have met him a couple of months ago when he was suspended for a game and was in the boardroom at Leeds. ‘‘But that was just to say hello and nothing else. I don’t think you can start talking about his behaviour the first time you meet him.

‘‘If he is coming into our squad, then of course we will talk to him.’’

Eriksson is expected to name a squad of about 24 players tomorrow, with Gary Neville, Sol Campbell and Richard Wright ruled out through injury, while Frank Lampard is a huge doubt.

Grip revealed concerns over David Beckham’s ankle injury and Wes Brown’s Achilles problem, but both United players will be called up and then assessed by the England medical team. By the time of the Greece game on June 6, it will have been several weeks since United played a match which really mattered and the fear will be that the competitive edge of their players may have been blunted.

‘‘That could be,’’ admitted Grip. ‘‘Those players who haven’t played a lot for the past three weeks or so, perhaps they will need to do a little bit more when we come together.’’

Grip, who has been hugely impressed with Jamie Carragher and Steve Gerrard this season, revealed that Martin Keown or Gareth Southgate or possibly both could be recalled to add experience to the defence.

‘‘We know what they have done so far in the team, these players. We need to have a last look at them and then, after we have all the reports in from the games this weekend, we will decide,’’ he said.

Middlesbrough defender Ugo Ehiogu is another contender, but Grip insisted: ‘‘If you are very good when you are 18, you can be a player. If you are 33, 34 or 35, it makes no difference.’’

There is no senior call-up for Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves just yet though. He is expected to play for the Under-21 side and confirm his commitment to England.

‘‘Sven saw him and was impressed with his performance, absolutely,’’ said Grip after Hargreaves’ accomplished display for Bayern in their Champions League semi-final victory against Real Madrid.

‘‘If he plays in the Under-21 team that is good. We have had a lot of Under-21 players in our squad so we will see in the future what happens with him.’’