Everton manager Roberto Martinez has claimed that he feels defender Phil Jagielka is one of the best England have right now, but he cannot understand the reasons for the former Sheffield United man having to take most of the blame for England’s poor showing at the World Cup 2014.

Jagielka and Gary Cahill were the first choice centre back partnership for England at the World Cup, but it turned out to be a major disappointment after the national team were knocked out at the group stages. Jagielka fails that he has been made like a scapegoat for this poor showing by being dropped from the team.

Roy Hodgson’s judgement may have seen correct going by the Premier league record for Everton this season. The blues have one of the worst defensive records in all of Europe.

As a result, they are struggling near the bottom of the table and it was only in the last few matches that victories helped them get closer to the top half. Everton recently managed two consecutive wins with the latest coming against Burnley away from home. Everton’s defensive record still ranks as the second worst, but Martinez says that Jagielka has been very good for them.

He does not expect Jagielka to be picked as the starting defender for the upcoming qualifier against Slovenia in November. “Phil Jagielka is not just quick he’s rapid in the way he covers the distances. It did not surprise me at all. I think that after the World Cup he’s gone up to the next level again. We’ve seen him adapting to playing on the left. We know he can play on the right, earlier in his career he played at right-back and he can play in central midfield. He has become a proper leader and a proper captain,” said Martinez.