Bournemouth defender James Hill receives maiden England call-up for Nations League

Bournemouth centre-back James Hill has been called into the England senior squad for the UEFA Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Spain during the November international break, with matches at Wembley on November 12 and the Metropolitano Stadium on November 15. The call-up is Hill’s first senior England selection.

Hill was a late addition to Gareth Southgate’s squad after Ezri Konsa was ruled out of the match against Croatia due to a knee issue, meaning Hill is available to make his international debut in the forthcoming fixtures. The selection follows a run of regular first-team football for Hill under Bournemouth manager Marco Rose, during which he has established himself in the club’s defensive line.

This season Hill has been a near-constant presence for Bournemouth, making 15 appearances and featuring in all of the club’s Premier League and UEFA Europa League matches to date. Primarily deployed as a centre-back, he is also capable of playing at right-back.

Hill’s inclusion reflects his role in Bournemouth’s recent competitive form: he has helped the team compile an eight-match winning streak across all competitions. During that run the club recorded six consecutive clean sheets and conceded only two goals.

Born on January 10, 2002, in Bristol, Hill is the son of former Bristol City player Matt Hill and began his senior career at Fleetwood Town. He made his first-team debut for Fleetwood in the EFL Cup against Leicester City in 2018 at age 16, becoming the youngest player to appear for the Cods, signed his first professional contract in February 2019 and made his league debut against Peterborough United in April 2019 after accumulating 53 appearances for the club.

Hill moved to Bournemouth in January 2022 for a £1 million transfer fee, a record sale for Fleetwood Town, and spent time on loan at Heart of Midlothian and Blackburn Rovers. He made only 24 appearances in his first three and a half years at Bournemouth, returned from his loan at Blackburn in January 2024 and was gradually integrated into the first team, becoming a regular last season with 31 appearances as the Cherries finished sixth in the Premier League.

Hill’s maiden senior call-up follows previous appearances for England at U-20 and U-21 levels, and England will play Croatia at Wembley on November 12 before travelling to the Metropolitano Stadium to face Spain on November 15.