SUNDERLAND bargain-buy Gavin McCann - notorious for his shyness - broke his silence last night after being named with club-mate Kevin Phillips in the England squad.

The 23-year-old midfielder, who cost a mere £500,000 from Everton in November 1998, is renowned in the Sunderland camp for avoiding press interviews.

But he came out of his shell last night to say: "I am delighted to have been selected.

"I really didn't expect it - it is a great honour to represent your country.

"It was difficult for me in the early part of the season when I was recovering from my injury but I have been pleased with my performances in recent weeks."

Wearside boss Peter Reid, who snapped up McCann from Everton largely on the recommendation of his close friend and former manager Howard Kendall, was not at all surprised by the Blackpool-born player's inclusion in the squad.

Reid, who played 13 times in midfield for England, said: "I have always thought Gavin had it in him to play for England.

"He has all the attributes that a top class midfielder needs.

"The lad had a bad injury which knocked him back, but he has done brilliantly to come back the way he has."

McCann won the supporters' Young Player of the Year award last season despite sustaining a severe knee ligament injury at Coventry in February, which required surgery.

But the 6ft 1ins tall link man made a full recovery, making his first-team return some nine months later as a substitute in the 2-1 Worthington Cup fourth-round victory over Manchester United at the end of November and has never looked back since.

McCann, who played 11 League games for Everton after being signed as a trainee, has made 58 League and Cup appearances for Sunderland, scoring four goals, including a super-strike at Arsenal which earned Sunderland a point in a memorable fightback after being 2-0 down at half time at the end of December.

McCann and Phillips are joined by Middlesbrough's Ugo Ehiogu and Newcastle's Kieron Dyer to make up a quartet of North-East- based players.

l Sven-Goran Eriksson has certainly signalled his determination to coach England ''his way''.

However, the new England coach was painfully honest in admitting that, with so little time in which to prepare for the job, he may have made mistakes in choosing his first squad.

Naming a 31-man party to face Spain in next week's friendly, Eriksson ensured there were enough fresh faces to satisfy those looking for a new dawn.

In came the much-heralded young talents of West Ham midfielder Joe Cole and Arsenal defender Ashley Cole - to join namesake Andy - as well as two more Upton Park regulars, Michael Carrick and Frank Lampard.

Nicky Butt, Michael Ball and Jamie Carragher were included, but along with McCann and Ehiogu the real outsider was 31-year-old Charlton defender Chris Powell.

Teddy Sheringham was also back, while David Seaman, Phil Neville and Kevin Phillips kept their places, with Gareth Barry, Paul Robinson and Alan Smith retained in the Under-21 squad.

And even if Eriksson maintained the ''door is always open'', there were signs that the international careers of veterans Dennis Wise and Middlesbrough's Paul Ince are now over given that they could not make it into even this large squad.

The most notable surprise, however, was that Powell, who lost his place in the Charlton side recently, was picked ahead of Barry, who has featured in England's past four games.

Eriksson, who took over the job only last month, admitted: ''My assistant, Tord Grip, and I have watched a lot of games but I'm not so stupid that I think I know every player I ought to.

''It's a friendly so we thought it would be better to take many players to meet them, talk to them, see them practice and really start to get to know them.

''We may have made some errors, with some players out who should be in, some who are in who should be out. Who knows? The door is open to all English players. We might have forgotten someone but it's not easy in five weeks to have a perfect opinion."

Eriksson was nevertheless determined to ensure that even with just three training sessions with his players, he brings his influence to bear on the fortunes of the team.

''I hope there will be a revolution on the pitch. I'm not coming here to try to start a revolution, but I am coming here to try to do it my way,'' he declared.

Squad: Seaman (Arsenal), Martyn (Leeds), James (Aston Villa), Wright (Ipswich), G Neville (Man Utd), P Neville (Man Utd), Brown (Man Utd), Ferdinand (Leeds), Campbell (Tottenham), Ball (Everton), Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Arsenal), Ehiogu (Middlesbrough), Powell (Charlton), Dyer (Newcastle), Beckham (Man Utd), Scholes (Man Utd), McManaman (Real Madrid), Carrick (West Ham), J Cole (West Ham), Lampard (West Ham), Parlour (Arsenal), Butt (Man Utd), McCann (Sunderland), Barmby (Liverpool), Heskey (Liverpool), Owen (Liverpool), Fowler (Liverpool), Andy Cole (Man Utd), Sheringham (Man Utd), Phillips (Sunderland).