Gareth Southgate’s 25-man England squad for the upcoming games against Scotland and Spain has divided opinion among many fans up and down the country.

The interim boss has recalled Bournemouth’s Jack Wilshere and Tottenham’s Harry Kane, with the latter starting his first game in just under two months in the North London derby on Sunday, and looking short of match fitness.

Wilshere completed his first 90 minutes in over two years when the Cherries drew with Spurs a fortnight ago, but he returns to the fold alongside Liverpool duo Nathaniel Clyne and Adam Lallana, as well as Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling.

Photo: Offside/Witters.

However, Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain misses out despite making Southgate’s first England squad last month, and Everton’s Ross Barkley remains out of favour with the national team after an indifferent start to the season at Goodison Park.

An injured Dele Alli and a seemingly unfit Chris Smalling also miss out, but there are a few players who have made the squad that should feel fortunate for doing so.

Thus, here are THREE players who were lucky to make Southgate’s squad…

Jamie Vardy

Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

Leicester’s Jamie Vardy would have to go some to reproduce last season’s form this time around, but he looks a shadow of the player that helped inspire the Foxes to the Premier League title.

The 29-year-old has been dropped from the starting line-up in two of Leicester’s last three Premier League matches, and his second half appearance against West Brom on Sunday stretched his goalless streak to 13 matches for club and country.

His energy and pace could be a huge asset to England, but he needs to back that up with goals, and two league goals so far this season is not good enough.

With Jermain Defoe and Charlie Austin finding the net regularly for Sunderland and Southampton respectively, Vardy is lucky to make this squad.

Jack Wilshere

Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

Jack Wilshere’s loan move to Bournemouth for this Premier League season was seen as a way to resurrect a faltering career hampered by injuries and fitness concerns.

By getting back into the England squad, part of that objective has already been achieved, but he completed his first 90 minutes in over two years in the Cherries’ draw with Spurs two weeks ago.

Does that mean that’s he is really back to full fitness, and thus worthy of a spot in the squad? It’s doubtful.

The midfielder’s quality is clear to see – we’ve all seen it in the past for both Arsenal and England – but he needs to be fully fit to play to those standards again.

It still feels like he is a long way off and, although he playing regularly and getting more minutes on the pitch, this call-up seems a bit too soon for Wilshere.

Daniel Sturridge

Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

Honestly, any of the four strikers can feel a touch fortunate to make the side, but given that Daniel Sturridge isn’t playing regularly for Liverpool and has yet to score a Premier League goal this season, he is the most fortunate.

Although the 27-year-old looked sharp in England’s victory over Malta in October, he has since started just twice for the Reds, and was replaced after an hour in the draw against Manchester United.

He helped inspire Jurgen Klopp’s men to victory over Tottenham in the League Cup, but his lack of first team football must be of concern to both him and the England management.

Those two goals against Spurs may have got his nod on this occasion, but if he continues to sit on the bench at Anfield, he’ll be lucky to get in future squads.