Wheater future bright

10:35am Monday 24th March 2008

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EMANUEL Pogatetz expects David Wheater to reaffirm his status as one of the most promising young defenders in the Premier League by overcoming his disappointment at being excluded from Fabio Capello's 23-man England squad for Wednesday's friendly in France.

Wheater failed to survive the cut when Capello trimmed his provisional squad from 30 to 23 on Saturday night, although his status would change if there were to be any late defensive withdrawals following yesterday's games involving Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

The 21-year-old was overjoyed at receiving his maiden international call-up on Thursday, and this weekend's events will have represented a considerable blow.

But having played alongside Wheater in Middlesbrough's 1-0 win over Derby, Pogatetz expects the youngster's level-headed outlook to ensure his omission is nothing more than a temporary setback.

"David is somebody who plays as though he's playing football in the park," said the Middlesbrough skipper, who will be on international duty himself on Wednesday as Austria take on Holland in a friendly in Vienna.

"Everything comes naturally to him and he doesn't worry about anything, and that will stand him in good stead. He will handle anything that comes into his stride.

"I'm so happy for him that he got his call-up in the first place.

International football will be great for him and I'm sure he'll go on to play for England lots of times in the future. He's been playing with so much freedom all season, and he'll be a massive asset for Middlesbrough for many years to come."

While Wheater failed to make Capello's cut, Stewart Downing has been named in a final England squad for the first time since Steve McClaren's dismissal last November.

The Boro winger, who was unfairly portrayed as a McClaren favourite as a result of the former England manager's reign at the Riverside, failed to feature in last month's 2-1 victory over Switzerland.

That led some to question his international future, but having watched Downing at close quarters in this month's 1-1 draw with Arsenal, Capello immediately restored the Teessider to the England fold.

"Stewart's recent form has been as good as it has ever been,"

said Boro boss Gareth Southgate.

"He has started to score away from home as well as at the Riverside - he scored a big goal at Everton and at Villa Park - and he has been a real handful for opposition defences.

"He deserves to be back in the England squad. It's great that he has been picked by a different England manager (from Mc- Claren).

"He is playing very well at the minute and his call-up is a reward for that."

Having missed Saturday's 1-0 win through injury, Robert Huth is unlikely to be involved in Germany's friendly with Switzerland.