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Harry Maguire and Nathaniel Chalobah called into England squad

Uncapped duo Harry Maguire and Nathaniel Chalobah have been handed their first call-ups in the first England squad since Wayne Rooney's international retirement.

Manager Gareth Southgate has named the Leicester defender and the Watford midfielder in a 28-man squad to face Malta and Slovakia in World Cup qualifiers on Sept. 1 and 4.

Rooney had been asked to join up with the squad but instead decided to call time on his international career at the age of 31.

Southgate has also named four goalkeepers in his panel, with Everton's Jordan Pickford joining Joe Hart, Jack Butland and Tom Heaton.

Southgate is relishing the chance to see some more of Maguire as injury prevented him being called up for the summer internationals -- the World Cup qualifying draw against Scotland and the 3-2 friendly defeat by France.

The England boss said: "I thought his performances for Hull were very good. He's a defender that's very comfortable with the ball and that's the profile of international football.

"I think he's already adjusted really well at Leicester to a new club. He plays with great composure [and] can defend the ball in the box, so I think it's a really good opportunity for us to have a look at him, for him to get a feel of being around the senior squad, and we can assess how he goes in training and that sort of thing.

"As you say, we were looking at him towards the end of last season but he wasn't really fully fit towards the end of the year."

Southgate left the door open for a possible Rooney return to the England squad.

"I said the door was always open and because of the way he has been playing at the beginning of the season he is in the right frame of mind, that's why I made the call this time.

"I don't see why you ever shut the door on anything as players."

Southgate added that if Rooney had won an international trophy he would have been regarded as a legend.

"I guess the only other thing he could do was win something internationally and if we are judging it solely on that then only the guys who won in 1966 are elevated to that status, but he's done everything else with England, captained his country for so long.

"He has represented his country with incredible pride and has kept coming back even when there has been a lot of criticism towards him, and his level of performance has been outstanding.

"I've got huge respect for him. I was fortunate enough to play with him and then to manage him and throughout what was a difficult period because of the decisions I was having to make he has accepted that with incredible humility. He has been a pleasure to work with."

Southgate said the squad will continue to be strong without former captain Rooney, and is confident his younger team can thrive with some influence from playing alongside the more senior players.

Southgate added: "In March and June the squad have been together without [Rooney] so in that sense, these guys have got on with that and it's the opportunity now for us to look forward, look to the future.

"You can see by the squad we've named, some younger players coming in, who we've been looking at for a while and we want to see that. We have to have an eye on developing the future.

"I did see the value of having some senior players around that. The likes of Jermain Defoe for example, who can help nurture some younger players as well as play a part -- but equally we have to look forward.''

Southgate is optimistic about the future after England sides won the Under-20 World Cup and Under-19 European title, while other age group teams reached the European Under-21 and Under-17 Championship semifinals.

"We have development teams, who've done brilliantly over the summer,'' he added. "There is a depth of players coming through and we've got to give them their head a bit. I've got to balance that by getting us results that help us to qualify but also I've got to look at the future and at the exciting players coming through."

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