Hughes: SWP can earn call-up

City boss full of praise

By Carla Hilton   Last updated: 1st October 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Hughes: SWP can earn call-up

SWP: At the top of his game

Related links

Teams

Players

Also see

Man City boss Mark Hughes believes Shaun Wright-Philips can earn a call-up to the England squad if he continues to play at the top of his game.

The 26-year-old, who returned to City from Chelsea in August, is playing his best football yet according to Hughes and is showing more quality and confidence than ever before.

Competition is strong for a place in Fabio Capello's England squad, with the likes of Theo Walcott, David Bentley and David Beckham also vying for the same position.

Wright-Phillips won the last of his 19 caps in February, and Hughes said: "He certainly has more experience than two of those players (Walcott and Bentley)."

Hughes also admits that Wright-Phillips' time at Chelsea, a title-winning club, has been of huge benefit to City.

He added: "Shaun has been excellent since he came back. He is far and away a better player than when he left the club.

"That is down to three years' more experience and three years at a top club working with top players and winning trophies.

"That changes your mentality and your outlook to teamwork. We are reaping the benefit."

The right decision

Despite these comments, Hughes says the decision to return to City was undoubtedly the right one.

"This is very much Shaun's club and you can see that," said the City boss. "He is playing with a smile on his face.

"It was a big decision for him to come back here but it looks as though a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

"You can sense he is delighted to be playing regular football once again and showing everyone what he can do.

"He was sidelined for too long at Chelsea but now he is reminding people he is an exceptionally gifted player."