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Gareth Southgate says England looked into the possibility of tempting both Evan Ferguson and Erling Haaland into playing for the Three Lions, but clearly both strikers have pledged their international allegiance elsewhere.<\/p>\n
There was a possibility that both Ferguson and Haaland could have opted to play for England, but the Brighton striker has chosen Ireland, the country of his birth, while the Manchester City superstar plays for Norway, where he grew up after being born in Leeds.<\/p>\n
Southgate admits that both forwards were pursued, at least to some extent, but he is more than happy with having Harry Kane up front instead.<\/p>\n
On Ferguson possibly still being able to switch to England, Southgate said: \u2018I think he\u2019s played too many games at senior level, I think he\u2019s got eight caps now. <\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019m not exactly sure on whether he definitely can\u2019t, but I think he\u2019s made it very clear he feels he was born in Ireland and he\u2019s represented them and I would 100 per cent [support that].<\/p>\n
\u2018I think he\u2019s a bloody good player. We have to respect him, I don\u2019t think he\u2019s given any inkling that would be any different.<\/p>\n
\u2018At the same time, we were looking at Haaland and wishing that he might have been available as well. But we\u2019ve got a pretty good number nine and we\u2019re very happy with him.\u2019<\/p>\n
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A player with an international future still up for discussion is Newcastle midfielder Elliot Anderson, who has played for both England and Scotland at youth level.<\/p>\n
He was called up to the latest Scotland senior squad but pulled out due to injury so is yet to win a full cap for any nation.<\/p>\n
On the future of the 20-year-old, Southgate said: \u2018I don\u2019t know. We liked him and we do like him. We think he\u2019s a player that\u2019s doing really well.<\/p>\n
\u2018Obviously, he was called into their squad earlier in the week and I don\u2019t know what the position is at the moment. I saw he\u2019s pulled out.<\/p>\n
\u2018Let\u2019s see, that\u2019s something that [FA Technical Director] John [McDermott] and others at our organisation will be picking up. He\u2019s definitely a player we like.\u2019<\/p>\n
Scotland host England in a friendly at Hampden Park on Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n