James Hill handed first England senior call-up for Nations League

Bournemouth defender James Hill has been added to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the upcoming Nations League matches, earning his first senior international selection.

The 23-year-old has been rewarded for a consistent start to the season with the Cherries, having appeared in all 15 of Bournemouth’s matches across competitions.

Hill, who has previously played for England at youth level, joins the squad as cover for Ezri Konsa. The Arsenal defender is set to be rested for England’s opening match against Croatia.

Konsa will nevertheless remain with the group and could play against Spain. That game is expected to be decisive in determining the winner of Nations League Pool A Group C.

Hill’s promotion is the second defensive change to Tuchel’s squad. Dan Burn was called up on Monday after Marc Guehi withdrew.

Guehi suffered an injury during his club’s weekend defeat by Nottingham Forest and will stay with his club during the international break.

Burn, who has won 11 senior England caps, has already reported for international duty at Tottenham Hotspur’s training ground.

Hill started his professional career with Fleetwood Town before moving to Bournemouth in 2022 for a reported 1.2 million euros.