Ruben Loftus-Cheek has more strings to his bow than Bayern Munich legend Michael Ballack and can excel for England against Panama, says former Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson.
Chelsea midfielder Loftus-Cheek played under Hodgson during a loan spell at Crystal Palace last season, scoring twice in 24 top-flight appearances as the Eagles recovered from an awful start under Frank de Boer to finish 11th in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old made his World Cup bow in an impressive cameo off the bench in England s opening 2-1 win over Tunisia in Group G and is set to play from the start against Panama with Dele Alli struggling with a thigh injury.
Hodgson, who oversaw England s group-stage exit in Brazil four years ago and the dismal last-16 defeat to Iceland at Euro 2016, likened Loftus-Cheek to Ballack, who won the Premier League with Chelsea in the 2009-10 season and played in the 2002 World Cup final with Germany, and believes he is potentially a better player.
I d say he goes by people more than Ballack did, Hodgson told the Daily Mail. But I think he s got Ballack s power and his pace and his strength he s definitely got that.
He s maybe got more strings to his bow than even Ballack had. That s a bold thing to say, I know, but he s so good at going past people. He s got that deceptive turn of pace. That ability to receive a ball in tight situations and then come out very quickly on the other side and open a game up.
That s a skill because passing players can t do that. Passing players have to pass it and then get it back again.
Ruben can twist and turn his way out of tight situations and, as I say, open a game up. And then he s very powerful going forward.
I think he can add more goals to his game. I m sure he will as time goes on.
A second change for the , and is on. Still 1-1.
— England (@England)
Asked if Loftus-Cheek is ready for the occasion, Hodgson added: I do think he s ready, yes, definitely, 100 per cent. I think he showed that in his cameo against Tunisia the other night.
I think Ruben s internal midfield play is something that makes him very versatile. He could play in a central role in a four, but luckily for me he can also play as a wide player in a four.
But if you play with a defensive midfield player alongside him he could certainly do that, I m sure.
