In an England squad with several exciting young players James Milner likely won't set pulses racing, but the versatile Manchester City midfielder could play a vital role in Roy Hodgson's plans in Brazil.
The 28-year-old Milner has been part of the England set-up since making his debut for the Under-16 team 13 years ago.
With Hodgson giving opportunities to some players with barely more than a season of Premier League football under their belts, that experience could be invaluable.
His ability to offer defensive cover in midfield as well as provide width or support for the strikers provides Hodgson with useful tactical options, but he remains a player who many fans find lacking in sparkle.
"The opinion of the manager and my team-mates is really the only one that matters to me," he told reporters on Monday before rejecting the notion that he is little more than a steady option. "You can look at the number of goals I've created in the Premier League in my career and see where that puts me. I'm sure I'd be quite high up in that.
"If a footballer can do that, create goals but also do a job for the team defensively, is that a bad thing? People say I'm a containing player. Maybe if I was lazy they wouldn't think that. If I kept more energy to go forward, what would the perception be then? Would I be lazy and shouldn't be playing because of that?"
If that response suggests Milner is somewhat irked by his public image that would be slightly misleading.
A twitter account, with nearly a quarter of a million followers, titled 'Boring James Milner,' mocks the player by posting tediously banal observations about shopping and everyday life but he takes the parody in good spirit.
"It's good fun. I've read a few of them and some of them are very funny. My mates don't mention it, no. I'd like the James Milner Foundation to have as many followers as that," he said, before joking about his attempts to hunt down the culprit – possibly among the staff at Manchester City.
Milner may not be boring at all, indeed he was thoughtful and engaging in his conversation with reporters on Monday, but he certainly is a very different character from some of the England midfielders of the past.
England squad
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Celtic), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion)
Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United)
Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Daniel Welbeck (Manchester United)
SQUADS IN BRIEF
Switzerland
Switzerland manager Ottmar Hitzfeld has assembled a side who completed their group qualifying campaign without too much worries.
Words such as ‘organised’ and ‘disciplined’ still bear resonance with the Swiss national team.
Head coach Hitzfeld has selected two young and fierce strikers that could help their side reach the last sixteen for the first time in 8 years: Granit Xhaka and Josip Drmic (both 21).
Squad
Goalkeepers: Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg), Roman Buerki (Grasshopper), Yann Sommer (Basel)
Defenders: Johan Djourou (Hamburg), Michael Lang (Grasshopper), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg), Fabian Schaer (Basel), Philippe Senderos (Valencia), Steve von Bergen (Young Boys), Reto Ziegler (Sassuolo)
Midfielders: Tranquillo Barnetta (Eintracht Frankfurt), Valon Behrami (Napoli), Blerim Dzemaili (Napoli), Gelson Fernandes (Freiburg), Gokhan Inler (Napoli), Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich), Valentin Stocker (Basel)
Forwards: Josip Drmic (Nuremberg), Mario Gavranovic (Zurich), Admir Mehmedi (Freiburg), Haris Seferovic (Real Sociedad), Granit Xhaka (Borussia Monchengladbach)
Portugal
The final squad has been announced by Portugal manager Paulo Bento with seven dropping out: Anthony Lopes, Antunes, Rolando, André Gomes, João Mário, Ivan Cavaleiro and Ricardo Quaresma.
The squad is mainly based on players Bento leant on most in qualifying for the World Cup, except for two young players: Andre Almeida (23), who only has two caps to his name, and midfielder Rafa who’s won his first cap against Cameroon in March.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Beto (Sevilla), Eduardo (Braga), Rui Patrício (Sporting)
Defenders: Andre Almeida (Benfica), Bruno Alves (Fenerbahce), Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid), Joao Pereira (Valencia), Neto (Zenit St Petersburg), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Costa (Valencia)
Midfielders: Joao Moutinho (Monaco), Miguel Veloso (Dynamo Kiev), Raul Meireles (Fenerbahce), Ruben Amorim (Benfica), William Carvalho (Sporting Lisbon), Rafa (Braga)
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Eder (Braga), Helder Postiga (Lazio), Hugo Almeida (Besiktas), Nani (Manchester United), Varela (FC Porto), Vieirinha (Wolfsburg)
Greece
Konstantinos Mitroglou has kept his spot in Fernando Santos' World Cup squad.
The £11m striker, although having failed firing since he joined Fulham in January, scored three times over the two legs of the World Cup qualifying play-off against Romania.
Three of the seven strikers from the initial selection were cut, with Dimitris Papadopoulos, Nikos Karelis and Stefano Athanasiadis to miss out.
Injury problems rule Olympiacos' Avraam Papadopoulos out while defender Nikolaos Karabelas, goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas and Kaiserslautern midfielder Kostas Fortounis were also omitted by head coach Santos as he named his final 23-man squad.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Orestis Karnezis (Granada), Panagiotis Glykos (PAOK), Stefanos Kapino (Panathinaikos)
Defenders: Kostas Manolas, Jose Holebas (both Olympiakos), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Borussia Dortmund), Vangelis Moras (Verona), Giorgos Tzavellas (PAOK), Loukas Vyntra (Levante), Vasilis Torosidis (Roma)
Midfielders: Alexandros Tziolis (Kayserispor), Andreas Samaris, Giannis Maniatis (both Olympiakos), Kostas Katsouranis (PAOK), Giorgos Karagounis (Fulham), Panagiotis Tachtsidis (Torino), Giannis Fetfatzidis (Genoa), Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, Panagiotis Kone (both Bologna)
Forwards: Dimitris Salpingidis (PAOK), Giorgos Samaras (Celtic), Kostas Mitroglou (Fulham), Fanis Gekas (Konyaspor)
USA
Veteran Landon Donovan, 32, has been left out by Jurgen Klinsmann of United States' final 23-man squad for the World Cup.
He had been part of the USA’s squad for the past three World Cups.
Defenders Michael Parkhurst, Brad Evans and Clarence Goodson; midfielders Joe Corona and Maurice Edu and forward Terrence Boyd also missed the cut for Klinsmann’s selection.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
