Gabby goes AWOL

Last updated : 30 May 2007 By Martin Aston

Agbonlahor was a shoe-in for a place in the finals but could not be contacted and Stuart Pearce explained: "We called him up for the [pre-tournament] trip to Spain and he was on holiday at the time. He's failed to respond to the phone calls the FA have made to him." The rumours have already kicked off, ranging from Machiavellian tactics from Martin O'Neill to keep him fresh for next season (highly unlikely), Machiavellian tactics by Gabby to ensure he remains eligible for Nigeria (unlikely) to simply being a bit dim and on holiday (an early front-runner).

There was more disappointment for Luke Moore and Liam Ridgewell, who were both left out, but Villa will have two representatives in the Netherlands when the tournament kicks off on 10 June. Winter signing Ashley Young will look to add to his six caps after a strong end to the domestic campaign, while Gary Cahill is among the eight defenders included in the 23-man party, along with former Villain Peter Whittingham.

For more information, visit: http://www.uefa.com/competitions/under21/index.html