Colback for England!

Jack Colback. The spotlight is certainly on you this season. As a Toon fan, I never questioned where he came from. My love for Newcastle United powerfully outweighs any dislike (or, indifference, it would be fairer to say) towards Sunderland. Yes, I look for that match when the fixtures are released and, in the weeks preceding it, the feelings of excitement and apprehension see-saw in my head. Who will win the match, the points and, most importantly, the bragging rights? But, Jack Colback’s arrival at St. James’ Park could well have occurred after a stint at Upton Park, rather than the Stadium of Light, it would not matter to me. Now, I know some, on both sides of the Tyne-Wear divide, will be asking the question: why? First and foremost, he is a midfielder. If we are honest, Newcastle had to strengthen pretty much all areas of the pitch, so, any bodies coming through the door would always be a positive for us. As basic and as fundamental as that sounds, it is true. After an 18-month drought of permanent signings, to recruit a decent, hard-worker local lad is quite the bonus. Secondly, he is good. He was, from what I hear, good for Sunderland and, in his first two performances in black and white, he has been the stand-out player for me. Something of a box-to-box midfielder against Manchester City, it was with excitement that I noted how, on Tiote’s return, Colback will be able to run freely at the front of our midfield, assisting the efforts of Siem de Jong, Remy Cabella and Moussa Sissoko. Just a thought. I’ll be honest. Apart from his silence-inducing performances against Newcastle, I never really noticed him in a red and white shirt. But, with a good concoction of questions from unsure Toon fans and patience from those willing to give him a chance, it seems that he is spurred on by the idea of making a point and, if his first two matches are anything to go by, it seems we have quite an exciting player on our hands. Possibly, dare I say it, a future captain? What we do have to remember, at the end of the day, is that his time at Sunderland is all in the past. Jack Colback’s future took something of an unexpected turn yesterday, when he was named in the England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Norway and Switzerland. Although, ‘unexpected’ may not be the right word to use, after time was called on the international careers of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick. I won’t ask the obvious rhetorical question of: ‘Would he have achieved his spot in the squad if he still played for Sunderland?’ (we could be here all season) and, this is not to say that Colback has not earned his call-up, but, his chance of carving out something of an international career is certainly strengthened by the absence of the three aforementioned midfielders. It is clear that England manager Roy Hodgson has to look at his midfield options. Whether Colback will only collect half an hour on Wednesday night or become an England regular, it is with a sense of pride that Newcastle fans can look at the England squad and see his name in there. Quite rightfully, Sunderland fans should too, but, I can understand any reluctance, on their part, to do so. This season, for Jack Colback, is a big one and, as I said earlier, the spotlight is definitely on him. Whether you are a NUFC fan, still murmuring on about his past employer or waiting to see how he will fare in the first derby of the season in December, it is clear to see that the nine months ahead pose challenges he will not have faced before. The big question is: Is he up to them? Sadly, as is so often the case, time will tell.