ROY HODGSON refused to guarantee Jack Grealish a spot in the England squad yesterday, after calling up Danny Ings and Dele Alli for the first time.

Grealish this week chose to represent England instead of the Republic of Ireland despite representing Ireland at youth level.

The Aston Villa youngster is unavailable for next week’s qualifiers but despite the Three Lions already qualifying for Euro 2016, Hodgson told Grealish that there will be no special treatment afforded to him and he will have to earn his place in the squad.

“I’m very pleased,” he said of the player’s decision.

“I think it is the right decision, frankly he is English having met him and his father, it is an English family albeit with fairly distant Irish roots.

“I think he has got the talent to be an England player, he has a lot of work today before that day is concreted — but I was happy that in a choice between the two countries he took the bolder decision to try to be an England international.

“I was keen to point out to him and his father that there are no guarantees from my point of view — one thing I can categorically say is that the only way he will get into the England squad is if he is one of the best 23.

“We can’t offer him any sweeteners or bonuses because you have made a decision to play for England.”

While Grealish was not internationally cleared join the squad, Hodgson called up uncapped duo Alli and Ings, while there were also recalls for fit-again Ryan Bertrand, Phil Jones and Adam Lallana.

On 19-year-old Alli, Hodgson said: “He has only just broken into the Tottenham team but we have been very impressed by what we have seen.

“We are a year away from France so the thinking is it’s a good opportunity for him to come with us, when so many midfield players are missing through injury, that we can get to know him better. Who knows where he will end up? He’s a very exciting talent.”