English Team Of The Week - January 11th-13th

(GK) Joe Hart (Manchester City) - 90 minutes, clean sheet

It seems as though Joe Hart is back to his very best when it comes to club form. Hart had a demanding performance for City keeping out a dangerous Newcastle attack for 90 minutes. He was beaten by Tiote's thunderbolt that was incorrectly ruled out for offside, however he made a couple of fantastic saves and really looked as though his confidence was back, if it ever left after his benching earlier in the season. A confident Joe Hart is only a good thing for England.

(DL) Luke Shaw (Southampton) - 90 minutes, clean sheet

This spot could have gone to one of three players for England, as Cole kept a clean sheet against Hull, Baines kept a clean sheet against Norwich and Shaw kept a clean sheet against West Brom. I've gone with Shaw because his improvement trajectory is just superb. He's only 18 years old and he plays as assured as a seasoned 30 year old. West Brom were throwing a lot at the Southampton defense towards the end of the match and everything was just being dealt with very easily.

(DR) Kyle Walker/Kyle Naughton (Tottenham) - 90 Minutes, clean sheet

This is a nice opportunity to showcase two players at one position that played well. Kyle Walker played well in the first half, going forward but more importantly with his defensive abilities. However he was forced off just after halftime with a calf injury. Up stepped English youngster Kyle Naughton to complete the game and the confident performance. Another clean sheet for an English duo. It's a shame that Naughton doesn't get more playing time, but with Walker playing so well at the moment, it's easy to understand.

(DC) John Stones (Everton) - 90 Minutes, clean sheet

Phil Jagielka by his side so you bring in a young unproven center back like Stones and he helps keep a clean sheet. As a Norwich fan I admit that we offer very little going forward, so keeping us out isn't exactly hard. However for a young lad like Stones, this was a great....umm...stepping stone. He was dominant in the air and his positioning was very good. A really bright spot for Everton and England going forward, he should be getting first team football and I hope he does that.

(DC) John Terry (Chelsea) - 90 Minutes, clean sheet

He may be retired from international football but there has been some rumbles recently about him potentially playing for England again. Personally I'm not sure but there is no doubt that he is enjoying a revival under Jose Mourinho. He is a fantastic leader, he looks like as though he has gained a yard of pace and he is sill dominant in the air as well as on the ground with firm tackles. He offers pressure from attacking corners and is as reliable as they come. A deserved spot this week.

(MF) Adam Johnson (Sunderland) - 87 Minutes, 3 goals *TLR Star Man*

Penalty, free kick and a good confident finish. Adam Johnson scored a tidy hattrick to help bottom of the league Sunderland to a vital three points away at Fulham. Johnson always had a lot of potential without ever really breaking through. You thought he may kick on at Manchester City but his career stalled a little. It was a good performance from Johnson who on his day can be unplayable. However those days are few and far between, but he's my star man for the week.

(MF) Adam Lallana (Southampton) - 84 minutes, 1 goal

Lallana has been fantastic this season and his impressive performances continued this weekend with an important goal for Southampton at home to West Brom. Lallana is a confident finisher and each week you see him grow a little more confident. That's a great thing for England as I'm pretty sure he'll be on the plane to Brazil. He's confident on either foot and he plays with a patient directness that England don't really have. He has tricks up his sleeve and can be a nightmare to tackle. He always plays a starring role for Southampton and this weekend was no different.

(MF) Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), 90 minutes, 1 assist

I've always enjoyed watching Lennon play, he was that direct talent before Townsend came on the scene. He is starting to hit a great bit of form, and he continued his impressive performances with a very solid display against Crystal Palace. No disrespect to Palace but I would expect someone with Lennon's talent to impress. He was fast and direct and he's starting to get his head up more and finding the correct passes. It wasn't a tough assist for Lennon but he is maturing to know when to give the ball to someone in a much better position.

(FW) Danny Welbeck (Man United), 86 minutes, 1 goal

Last year Danny Welbeck couldn't score consistently to save his life. Now he is banging them in left, right and center. His game against Swansea was another good solid overall performance that concluded with a good finish. England should be excited that a player like Welbeck who has a high work rate, plenty of pace, a lot of skill, is also now finding the back of the net. With Rooney out at the moment, Welbeck is really stepping up to the plate. it was a good performance on the back of several good performances.

(FW) Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), 24 minutes, 1 goal

I'm putting Sturridge here because when he came on in the 66th minute, he looked as though he hadn't missed a minute, instead of the reality....he hadn't played since the 23rd of November. He took his goal well and looked dangerous in attack as he always did. The thought of Sturridge linking back up with Suarez must excite most Liverpool fans. The thought of Sturridge back to full fitness and scoring goals should excited England.

(FW) Jermaine Defoe (Tottenham), 32 minutes, 1 goal

Defoe may be off to Canada to play in the MLS but I would still take him to the World Cup, simply because he shows time and time again that if you give him a chance he will score. He is an excellent player to come off the bench and score and I think Spurs are crazy for letting him go in February, at least wait until the Summer. He still has pace and he knows where the goal is at all times. He's lethal in front of goal and although his fitness may not be what it was, for the final 30 minutes, there isn't anyone better