Come on England!

I have to say that other than the United States, the team's roster I was most looking forward to seeing was England.

After spending a semester in London my junior year of college, I have rooted for the English national team. The fact that all their players compete in the EPL, my favorite league that I think is the world's best, has made it easy to follow the career paths of these players.

English coach Fabio Capello named his 30-man preliminary roster today and it featured six players from Tottenham and center-back Michael Dawson who doesn't have a single cap.

Dawson has been rewarded for an exceptional season with Spurs, in which he has helped the club qualify for next season's Champions League, and he will be joined in the squad by central defensive partner Ledley King.

Capello has consistently maintained that he will not pick injured players, but both King - who is unable to train because of a chronic knee injury - and Gareth Barry, who is out with an ankle injury, have been included.

Jamie Carragher is selected for the first time under Fabio Capello, after the England coach convinced him to come out of international retirement, and the Liverpool defender will provide cover at right-back for club team-mate Glen Johnson.

Spurs midfielder Tom Huddlestone is included along with team-mate Aaron Lennon, who will compete with Shaun Wright-Phillips, Theo Walcott, James Milner, Joe Cole and talented Manchester City youngster Adam Johnson for the wide midfield positions.

Cole, who had been tipped to be overlooked, returns to the England squad for the first time since 2008, joining Chelsea team-mates and Three Lions stalwarts John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole.

Manchester United pair Owen Hargreaves and Gary Neville had been tipped for a possible call-up but both miss out, while it is mixed fortunes for the West Ham contenders as Scott Parker is selected but Carlton Cole misses out.

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Man City), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham)

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Michael Dawson (Spurs), Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Spurs), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Man City), Michael Carrick (Man Utd), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Spurs), Adam Johnson (Man City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Spurs), James Milner (Aston Villa), Scott Parker (West Ham), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Man City)

Forwards: Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Spurs), Jermain Defoe (Spurs), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Man utd)