Who are England's best central midfield options?

Will Jack Wilshere live up to the lofty expectations of him?

For the last decade England have been blessed with top-class central midfielders, but has that well of talent run dry? Alex Johnson investigates.

Through the course of the last generation England had Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes to call upon. Before that came the likes of Paul Ince, Bryan Robson and Paul Gascoigne.

However, nowadays the picture is not so rosy. Following the retirements of Lampard and Gerrard, Hodgson has been left with a dilemma in central midfield, as there are no proven world-class midfielders to play in the centre of the park.

Hodgson seems to currently favour a diamond in midfield, but pivotal to the success of that role is a top-rate defensive midfielder, and that is something missing from the England squad. Possibly the best midfielder to play that role would be Michael Carrick, but he is struggling to establish himself under Hodgson and, with the boss preferring to use youth rather than experience, he doesn't seem to have a bright international future.

Jack Wilshere has long-been-touted as the future of England's midfield, but the Arsenal man struggles from a real lack of consistency. Hodgson seems to favour using Wilshere at the base of his midfield diamond, but the 22-year-old has flattered to deceive for many years now as injury and poor form has slowed down his progress.

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There are also now question marks over Jordan Henderson. The Liverpool man is a shadow of the man who excelled last season and looks a bit lost in an England shirt without club colleague Gerrard alongside him. Henderson fits a system where two central midfielders are used, which showed when he impressed when paired with Gerrard and Lampard during recent years. Henderson could benefit from a bit of a break and, hopefully, he can recapture that form which made him a first choice during the World Cup. He looks to be a big part of England's future, especially if Hodgson opts for two central midfielders.

The most exciting prospect among the bunch is Everton's Ross Barkley, who can provide the creative spark that England now need. But he has only started one competitive England game. His sparkling performances last season resulted in a place in the World Cup squad and England fans seem genuinely excited when Barkley is on the pitch. He is positive and carries the ball forward from midfield as he glides past players. He is a raw talent and going to be a big part of England's future. If Hodgson wants this group to develop then he should consider starting Barkley in big games to get him used to big-night international football.

There are other options for Hodgson. Fabian Delph's form over the last 18 months earned him an England call-up before his latest injury. He is a willing runner and will cover the ground in the centre of the park, but he is not the most creative midfielder. Delph offers good cover as a defensive midfielder, but there remain question marks over whether he is really international quality.

Hodgson has also tried James Milner in that central midfield position, though that was against San Marino so not the sternest test of his capabilities. Hodgson is a big admirer of Milner, and the dressing room also appreciate the Man City man, but the wider public are not so enamoured with him. Considering it is not a position we are used to seeing him in, it is hard to foresee an England future with Milner in central midfield.

Finally, there is the option of Stewart Downing. The West Ham man has a chequered history with England fans, but his form playing in an attacking central midfield position at Upton Park has thrust him back onto the international scene. His inclusion in the latest squad and return from the wilderness possibly highlights how short England are in that position.

Overall, if Hodgson continues to use the diamond, then Wilshere looks the best option available. However, it would seemingly suit most of his options to play with two in the centre and a partnership of Wilshere and Barkley has the potential at least to carry England forward for years to come.