FOOTBALL: Wing man Nathan thinks of England (From Wiltshire Times)

FOOTBALL: Wing man Nathan thinks of England

6:00pm Friday 18th May 2012 in Football By Dan Barnes

TROWBRIDGE’S Premier League ace Nathan Dyer admits being linked with an international call-up was one the highlights of his impressive first season in the country’s top flight and says he’d love to wear the Three Lions shirt one day.

The 24-year-old winger starred as Swansea City finished 11th in their first ever campaign in the Premier League, with the Welsh side and Dyer earning praise from all corners for their swashbuckling displays this season.

Among those plaudits were mentions of Dyer and a call-up to the England team, also echoed by Swans manager Brendan Rodgers, and although the Trowbridge-born star didn’t become a shock inclusion in Roy Hodgson’s Euro 2012 squad earlier this week, he admits that he harbours dreams of representing his country.

“I’m not going to lie – having my name put next to England was a really nice thing to hear and it did get me thinking about it,” Dyer told the Wiltshire Times.

“But I’ve only had one season in the Premier League and I need to prove myself at this level consistently.

“It’s really nice that people would talk about me like that but I’m just looking to try and keep improving – it’s an ongoing process for me.

“But you never know what might happen in the future. Playing for your country would be amazing.”

Dyer’s birthdate prevents him from being in contention for international honours with the new Team GB side which will compete at the London 2012 Olympics this summer.

Earlier this year, Team GB boss Stuart Pearce placed 80 players on a shortlist for considerations for the Olympic side and Swansea’s Scott Sinclair and Joe Allen, as well as on-loan duo Josh McEachran and Steven Caulker, have all been linked with a call-up.

Their teammate Dyer, who also admits that he would have relished the chance to be a part of Team GB, added: “The Olympics would have been great but unfortunately I’m just too old to be selected.

“I know that some of the other lads at the club have been shortlisted and that’s great.

“I’d love to have been involved but it’s not an option for me. I’ll have to try to make sure I watch some of the other lads if they do end up being part of the team and playing at the Olympics.”

Dyer reviews his first Premier League season with Swansea: in next week’s Wiltshire Times