BBC Sport report that West Ham United midfielder Reece Oxford has been left out of the England U17 squad for the upcoming World Cup tournament. The decision has been taken by Hammers manager Slaven Bilic with regards to the youngster’s levels of fitness.
Oxford has already broken into the West Ham first team, in spite of being just 16 years of age, and Bilic does not believe that the U17 World Cup in Chile will benefit the teenager at all.
If Oxford was to take part in the competition, he would not be available for selection until the latter stages of November, and Bilic does not want to take that risk with such a young talent.
The Englishman captained the U17 side when helping them to qualify for the World Cup, but the gaffer believes he should be playing at a much higher international level.
Bilic: ‘Reece is an exceptional talent that we have to nurture. And we need him in the first team. We have made a long term plan for him to not to affect his body and his development. If we let him go for one and a half months or whatever, it’s no good.‘
The Irons host champions Chelsea after the international break.
