Stuart Pearce Announces England Squad for Holland Friendly

Stuart Pearce has just released the squad which will face Holland on February 29. The following have made the cut:

Goalkeepers: Scott Carson (Bursaspor), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Robert Green (West Ham United).

Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Leighton Baines (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur).

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), James Milner (Manchester City), Scott Parker (Tottenham Hotspur), Ashley Young (Manchester United), Theo Walcott (Arsenal).

Strikers: Darren Bent (Aston Villa), Fraizer Campbell (Sunderland), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United).

Following Sky Sports' report earlier this week which stated that Pearce would name a fairly "inexperienced" squad, names like Tom Cleverley and Kyle Walker may not come as a surprise to many fans.

However the names which may raise a few eyebrows include former England 'keeper Robert Green and Frazier Campbell. Green is probably remembered best for his blunders at the 2010 World Cup—including his embarrassing spill in the match against the USA.

Campbell recently returned to football after a lengthy absence, scoring in the FA Cup against Middlesbrough. This is the player's first senior call-up for England, and he will be looking to showcase his talent ahead of the European Championships this summer.

Speaking of the European Championships, England will have to start preparing for time without Wayne Rooney, who will be absent for the first few games of the tournament. Will we see a new and dynamic front line starting against Holland? Many have suggested the pairing of Danny Welbeck and Danny Sturridge, who have both been performing well in the EPL this season.

Notable exclusions include Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch, who were obviously the casualties in Pearce's drive for a young and inexperienced squad.

Some Arsenal fans may bemoan the fact that Alex Oxlade-Chaimberlain has not merited his first call-up, following his impressive performances for the Gunners in previous weeks.

Micah Richards has earned his first call-up in over a year, despite hobbling off against Porto in the Europa League.

The match will take place on February 29, 2012. Kickoff is at 8:00 PM GMT.