Marcus Bettinelli has earned a surprise England call-up despite being left out of Fulham’s side for their opening run of Premier League fixtures.
The 26 year-old Fulham academy graduate has been added to Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Nations’ League match against Spain and friendly with Switzerland. Bettinelli played a key role in Fulham’s promotion to the top flight after replacing David Button in goal midway through the Championship season, helping Slavisa Jokanovic’s side go on a remarkable 23-match unbeaten run. He was overlooked at the start of the new campaign – with summer signing Fabri preferred for Fulham’s first two matches – before being reinstated for the 4-2 win over Burnley at the end of last month.
Bettinelli, who had been linked with a move to West Ham after turning down a switch to local rivals Chelsea last year, joined up with the rest of the England squad at St. George’s Park shortly after receiving the call on Tuesday morning. He came through the ranks at Fulham, making his debut for the club in 2014 after an impressive loan with Accrington Stanley, and has previously been capped at under-21 level by Southgate.
