BBC SPORT | FOOTBALL | Cole handed England call-up

Andrew Cole may be given the chance to fill Alan Shearer's England boots after being named in the England squad to face France in Paris on 2 September.

Kevin Keegan has also confirmed that Arsenal defender Tony Adams will captain the side in Paris, with Sol Campbell as vice captain.

The England coach has brought Cole back into his 24-man squad after injury forced him out of the final party for Euro 2000.

Emile Heskey, Michael Owen and Kevin Phillips are the other strikers in Keegan's squad, though there is no immediate indication which combination Keegan will start with.

The only other players to return after missing out on Euro 2000 are Rio Ferdinand, Kieron Dyer, Darren Anderton and goalkeeper David James, who is back in place of young Ipswich star Richard Wright.

Tony Adams has regained the captain's armband for England

Anderton, like Cole, missed out on a trip to Holland and Belgium due to an ongoing injury.

Despite England's woeful showing at Euro 2000, Keegan has resisted the temptation to make wholesale changes and give youth its chance.

Keegan admitted he had checked the likes of Frank Lampard and Joe Cole, but had decided to rely on experience.

"I can find good enough reasons not to experiment for this game," he said.

The game against France is the only one I have to prepare for the qualifiers against Germany and Finland and I need to get this right.

There is also no place for Chelsea full back Graeme Le Saux, despite England's problems down the left.

Le Saux was another to miss the European Championships through injury and Keegan insists he is still not ready to return.

"Le Saux, if he is honest, is probably not fit to play for Chelsea yet, so you can't expect him to play for England against France in the Stade de France," said Keegan.

The England coach's immediate concern centres upon who to pair up front as he is forced to pick his first team without retired striker Alan Shearer.

But Keegan said: "We move on. It is what will happen from here that interests me and the fans and we have to be positive.

Graeme Le Saux is probably not fit to play for Chelsea, so you can't expect him to play for England against France in the Stade de France

Kevin Keegan, England manager

"That era has gone and we look for a new partnership, new players to come in and new leadership."

Keegan had no hesitation in turning to Adams for that leadership and said: "He is very inspirational in the dressing room just before the team goes out. Sol Campbell does it in a quiet way and many of the England players are a quiet bunch.

"They must start to lead by example, but English is not the first language at some Premiership clubs now, so maybe that is why they are so quiet," Keegan joked.

Full England squad:

Goalkeepers: David Seaman (Arsenal), Nigel Martyn (Leeds United), David James (Aston Villa)
Defenders: Tony Adams (Arsenal), Sol Campbell (Tottenham Hotspur), Martin Keown (Arsenal), Gareth Southgate (Aston Villa), Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Gary Neville (Manchester United), Phil Neville (Manchester United), Rio Ferdinand (West Ham United)
Midfielders: David Beckham (Manchester United), Paul Ince (Middlesbrough), Steve McManaman (Real Madrid, Spain), Paul Scholes (Manchester United), Dennis Wise (Chelsea), Nick Barmby (Liverpool), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Kieron Dyer (Newcastle), Darren Anderton (Tottenham Hotpsur)
Forwards: Andy Cole (Manchester United), Emile Heskey (Liverpool), Michael Owen (Liverpool), Kevin Phillips (Sunderland)


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