Charlie Austin Named in England Squad to Face Republic of Ireland and Slovenia

England manager Roy Hodgson has named his squad for the Three Lions’ upcoming clashes against Republic of Ireland and Slovenia, with Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin making the 24-man list.

Other surprise inclusions are Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy and Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton. Here’s the squad in full, per the team’s official Twitter account:

Austin has enjoyed a superb campaign with QPR despite the club being relegated from the Premier League. As noted by WhoScored.com, he’s netted 17 goals in the English football’s top flight this season and has also showcased a creative streak too, notching five assists.

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What has made his performances even more impressive is how poor the rest of his team-mates have been, something this statistic illustrates in earnest:

The inclusion of Vardy has certainly raised a few eyebrows. Leicester boss Nigel Pearson drafted the versatile forward back into the first team for the Foxes' fine finish to the season, and his blistering speed will certainly give England a different edge to their play.

As noted by Martin Ziegler of the Press Association, the 28-year-old has come a long way:

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Heaton has been one of Burnley’s brightest players in a disappointing campaign. The ‘keeper has been called upon plenty of times this season, and although the Clarets didn’t have quite enough to preserve their Premier League status, he was a critical component in making Sean Dyche’s side very tough to beat.

There’s no place for Manchester United’s Ashley Young in the squad despite finishing the season with a flourish, which left many fans dumbfounded by the winger’s omission.

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But as noted by Henry Winter of the Daily Telegraph, Hodgson revealed the reasoning behind the Red Devil not being included was due to fitness concerns:

The international double-header will see the Three Lions take on the Irish in Dublin on June 7. England then travel to Ljubljana on June 14 to face Slovenia in their Euro 2016 Qualifier; Hodgson’s men have won all five of their matches so far in Group E.