Ian Snodin: 'It is too easy to win England caps nowadays'

Everton legend Ian Snodin has claimed that England caps are being handed out too quickly in the modern game.

Teenage midfielder Ross Barkley made his Three Lions debut in their 4-0 win against Moldova on September 6, and Snodin feels that while the 19-year-old is a talented player, games for the national side are now generally awarded too easily.

"Nowadays, it seems that every bright young thing to emerge on the scene doesn't just get called up into an England squad, now they are actually able to get on the pitch and play a part in games," Snodin wrote in his Liverpool Echo column.

"As a result I think playing for your country doesn't mean as much as maybe it used to. It was certainly much tougher [in the past] to earn a call up for your country.

"I hope Ross revels in his England experience then comes back and sparkles for Everton."

Former Blues manager Howard Kendall recently made a similar point to Snodin's, claiming that Barkley's England call-up had come too soon.