Tony Pulis: Best is yet to come from England’s Jake Livermore

Livermore, who won a single cap five years ago, was named in Gareth Southgate’s squad this week for the upcoming games with Lithuania and Germany.

FA technical director Dan Ashworth, who held a similar role at Albion until 2012, asked Pulis about the 27-year-old before the squad was announced.

The central midfielder has impressed since his £10million arrival in January but Pulis expects him to get even better next season.

“It’s brilliant for Jake,” said Pulis. “He’s got the opportunity and that’s the great thing. I just hope now he pushes on. He’s a wonderful kid. If you speak to any of the players they’ll tell you what a great character he is.

“He’s pretty old school, works hard and get his job done but also has a great sense of humour.

“The important thing now is to get a real identity about his game to put him in a position where he understands his strengths and weaknesses and plays to them.

“Because he’s got all the tools to be a very good player.

“I still think we’ll see the best of him next season.”

This isn’t the first time a Pulis signing has been recalled to his international team this season.

Both Nacer Chadli and Matt Phillips have got back into the Belgium and Scotland squads respectively – although Phillips may need to pull out of Scotland’s upcoming games as his hamstring problem continues to trouble.

“It’s about trying to get them relaxed and enjoying their football,” said Pulis. “The important thing for Jake was getting him into a club where he felt a lot more secure.

“Coming here and mixing with the players, I think he feels at home.

“Chadli is the same, he feels comfortable around the group. He’s a lot more laid back than Jake. They’re different characters, you find within a group that everybody has their own way of doing things.

“The most important thing is to try and marry that up and make sure they all work together and all feel part of something.”

Before he signed Chadli, Pulis bet the Spurs midfielder he would get him back into the Belgian team.

“I’m glad you’ve reminded me!” he said. “I’d forgotten that one.”

If Livermore features in the World Cup qualifier against Lithuania, he will become the first Albion outfield player to play a competitve game for England since Bryan Robson.

But Pulis doesn’t believe his call-up with strengthen the club’s negotiation position in the summer.

“I’d love to say that was the case but it’s pounds, shillings and pence nowadays more than anything else,” he said. “That’s the reality.”