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Roy - No Carroll concerns

Image: Andy Carroll: Picked in England squad after Roy Hodgson held talks with Kenny Dalglish

Roy Hodgson has revealed that any reservations he might have had about Andy Carroll's attitude were put to rest after speaking with Kenny Dalglish.

Hodgson believes striker will bring different dimension to squad

Roy Hodgson has revealed that any reservations he might have had about Andy Carroll's attitude were put to rest after speaking with Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish. The Reds striker has been named in a 23-man England squad for Euro 2012 which will be captained by Steven Gerrard and includes the uncapped duo of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and John Ruddy. Hodgson believes he will provide a different dimension to the England attack with his strength and prowess in the air. "He is a different type of player to the others in the squad. He is able to hold the ball up and has that aerial ability which is very useful," the new national team manager said at a news conference shown on Sky Sports News HD. "He also has the ability to make those runs behind defenders and use his strength and power."

Perceptions

Hodgson says he did seek out Dalglish for talks about Carroll before announcing the squad, as he wanted to find out a bit more about the player's character. Dalglish was glowing in his praise for the former Newcastle forward and Hodgson is now looking forward to working with him. "I spoke to Kenny at great length about him because I don't know him particularly well as a person," said Hodgson. "One can easily be tricked by perceptions of players and what you hear or read about them, but Kenny was absolutely convinced about the players' ability and his personality and his seriousness as a professional. "When I heard that it meant I had no further reservations."

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