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It's been a while since Aston Villa have had a player that we could regularly count on getting called up for international duty with England, but it seems as if that might be the case again. Fabian Delph has earned his second nod for Roy Hodgson's England squad as they get ready for next week's international break.
In their first round of Euro 2016 qualification, England traveled to Switzerland and won 2-0 on the strength of two Danny Welbeck goals. Delph got his first ever England start in that match, and duly impressed everyone who watched him. This break will see them host San Marino next Thursday and then travel to Estonia the following Sunday. If you're wondering how good those teams are, Estonia was seeded 36th and San Marino were seeded 53rd.
Good news for San Marino, though: they weren't dead last in Euro qualification. That dubious spot goes to Gibraltar, who are participating in their first tournament as a member of UEFA. They're such a small nation that a 25-man squad would represent 0.083% of the entire country's population, a percentage that is three orders of magnitude greater than the equivalent measure in England. Unfortunately, Gibraltar lost their first match (against Poland) 0-7. :(
They do have some success, though! In 2006, they were a part of the FIFI Wild Cup which was made for nations who weren't in FIFA and thus not eligible for the World Cup. Their first match saw them draw the hosting Republic of St. Pauli 1-1. After that, a 5-0 thumping of Tibet got them into the semifinals, where they lost to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. They were able to redeem themselves, however, with a rematch win over St. Pauli in the 3rd place match.
You came for Fabian Delph news, and you got Gibraltar FA history. You're happy for a Villan and more well-informed about one of the most interesting sides in football. You're welcome.