Of the England players expected to start against Israel this Saturday, Everton's Andy Johnson has the fewest number of caps.
He made his England debut in 2004/5 when he finished the season as the top English Premiership goalscorer with Crystal Palace. It wasn't enough to save the club from relegation to the Championship, where he spent last season before completing his switch to Merseyside for £8.6 million at the beginning of last summer.
Johnson has returned to the kind of form that justified his fee, after marking his return as a Premiership player scoring six goals in his first seven including a brace against Liverpool. His previous England performance lasted 74 minutes against Holland in November. Since then he's scored a further five Premiership goals including his side's winner against Arsenal last weekend.
He said: "At this stage in my career, I don't think it gets any bigger than starting for England in a qualifier. And it would be my first one. I've obviously started in friendlies but they are nowhere near as important as this game on Saturday."
McClaren said: "He has had a good season with Everton. He is a team player. You saw that on Sunday. He works hard for the team. He wasn't fit for the last game (against Spain) but I am delighted to have him this time. Against Holland he was playing on the right wing but he still ran all the way back. You look at Drogba last week. He was back on the edge of his own box. Strikers have to work as hard as anyone else in the team to defend. Andrew Johnson does that. Wayne Rooney does that. Defenders don't like to play against strikers like that so I can see potential in Johnson and Rooney together."
Johnson added: "Steve's a top manager and I feel like I'm more part of the England set-up that maybe I was 18 months ago. I've been involved in the last seven or eight squads whereas before it was a little bit in and out and I was in the Championship for a season too. I was never too sure if I was going to get called up so it's nice to have been involved so much recently."
His Everton teammate Phil Neville said: "If anyone is going into the game full of confidence, it is Andy Johnson. When he was at Crystal Palace, everyone thought he was a good goalscorer but he has stepped up a level, gone to a bigger club and has taken everything on board and answered every question that has been put his way in terms of his performances."
Source: TheFA.com