England
Jack Wilshere (England)
Arsenal’s golden boy has shook off injury concerns to make Roy Hodgson’s squad for Brazil, where he will be hoping to be a starter. However, injury problems have had their effect on Wilshere’s role in the national team so he will need to perform in order to establish himself once again in the Three Lions plans.
Wilshere’s season has been superb, scoring some great goals, but the injury concerns are still there. He would have benefitted from an entire summer to rest but this is his chance to step-up and display his talent on the world stage. He could become the latest England player to make their name in an international tournament, following in the footsteps of Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney.
A decent World Cup for Wilshere could provide the spark for a great season next year for the midfielder, who can use his performances to demonstrate how much of a key role he can play for both club and country.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (England)
A breakthrough year for the Ox was ruined at the beginning of the campaign due to an injury which saw him laid off for the majority of the season, damaging his contribution to both club and country- while it also could have cost him his participation at the World Cup had things turned out differently.
Fortunately, the Ox is back fit and will be hoping to impress and earn his place in the starting line-up for England once again. He showed his talent when he scored at the Maracana last summer but his absence has seen the emergence of a host of players battling for his position.
The powerful winger will benefit from the absence of Andros Townsend and could be a key-part of the national side this summer. In the same way as Wilshere, he could become a star on the national scene ahead of what is a crucial season for the youngster next year, as he looks to establish himself in the long-term plans of both club and country.