SWP pays the ultimate price.

Although not on the scale of the Theo Walcott surprise inclusion, fellow teenager Aaron Lennon has earned a place in the England squad for this summers World Cup.

Erikson cited the form of Lennon over the past three months, when he has been a regular for Tottenham and burst onto the Premiership scene with great success.

'He has pace, can beat people and can cross the ball' said Erikson. Remind you of anyone?

Of course the inclusion of Lennon has meant that Shaun Wright-Phillips has been ommitted from the squad - not even making the standby list.

'The reason Shaun Wright-Phillips has not made the squad is simple - Aaron Lennon' was the explanation offered. But if only it were that simple. A year ago he was the darling of the City fans, media and even Erikson himself with suggestions that David Beckham should be moved centrally (or even dropped) to accomodate SWP.

Twelve months on he may have a Premiership medal and a bulging bank account to show for his move to Chelsea, but ultimately it has cost him his World Cup place. It is not necessarily the fact that he has been merely a squad player at Chelsea - there are plenty of players who have not been regulars at their club for a variety of reasons, but he is a confidence player who needs the ball, needs to play and needs the freedom to play. When he has featured for Chelsea this season he has played without confidence and without freedom - the very things that Aaron Lennon has shown over the past couple of months.

Saying that though, regardless of what SWP has (or hasn't) achieved this season I am still extremely surprised that Lennon has beaten him to a squad place as he is still largely untested at Premiership level, let alone on the international stage wheras SWP has by and large impressed when featuring for England.

But today, as his World Cup hopes lay in tatters he must surely look back on the events of last summer and wonder whether the choice he made was really worth it.