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After recovering from a serious injury, Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate was called up to the England national team for a friendly match against Argentina.
It has been 18 months since the defender's last national team appearance - he spent all that time recovering from a serious and complicated leg injury.
Woodgate moved to the Royal Club in August 2004, but only made his debut for the Spanish club last month due to the recurring injury. However, his English determination and persistence did not go unnoticed by England national team coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who has an impressive selection of center backs.
The coach usually chooses his center back pair from John Terry, Sol Campbell, and Rio Ferdinand. Also on his roster are Jamie Carragher, who played as a left back in World Cup qualifiers, and Ledley King, who played as a defensive midfielder in those matches.
Experts say that despite having an impressive array of center backs, S. Eriksson wants to give other players a chance to shine. However, it is believed that the Swede will select the strongest possible lineup for the match against Argentina on November 12.
Also included in the national team lineup is 35-year-old goalkeeper David James, who lost his place in the starting eleven after a poor performance in the match against Denmark, where the English were humiliated 4-1.
