Ross Barkley, left, has secured a spot with the senior England squad and has moved past the Under-21 game. PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Roy Hodgson thinks Ross Barkley should not go to the European Under-21 Championship this summer.

Barkley is one of several players with senior England caps who is eligible for this summer's tournament in the Czech Republic.

Although he has not had the best of seasons, Barkley's presence would boost the quality in Gareth Southgate's squad, but Hodgson believes it would be detrimental to the player and the Young Lions if he played in the June tournament.

Roberto Martinez feels Barkley, who has 12 senior caps, should not be made to move back down to the youth ranks.

"I don't see how that can help... Ross has gone past [Under-21 football] completely," the Everton manager said.

The England boss agrees with the Spaniard.

"I tend to be veering towards Roberto for the simple reason that I think that was a tough tournament in Brazil last year," said Hodgson, who hailed Barkley after his impact off the bench in England's 1-1 draw against Italy in Turin on Tuesday.

"Ross is part of our national team and in his last couple of games has proved himself a worthy one.

"I think the major argument, and one that Gareth is very much aware of, is that they have qualified and played all these games and worked very hard to qualify with a very good group of Under-21 players.

"Harry Kane is a different kettle of fish because Harry apart from these two [senior] matches has played in every [Under-21] game.

"He's been there right from the start. Ross Barkley will have been catapulted in from the outside.

"I'm not certain you can guarantee Ross is going to go there, not upset the rest of the players, make Gareth's team so much better, and be man of the tournament.

"It could happen, who knows? But there is no guarantee of that."

As Hodgson suggests, Southgate is unlikely to take players like Barkley, Raheem Sterling, Jack Wilshere, Phil Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Kane wants to go to the Czech Republic though and Southgate is likely to make place in his squad for Everton defender John Stones, who impressed during the Under-21s' win over Germany on Monday and as a substitute in the victory over the Czech Republic.

"From what I have heard John Stones' performances in these last two games, he's been exceptional and it looks like he might want to play (in the tournament) as well," Hodgson added.

Hodgson has dangled the carrot of a potential senior call-up to players who impress in the Czech Republic.

The England manager has been keen to promote the cream of the crop from the Under-21 squad and he will not hesitate in doing so again if he sees anyone he likes during the tournament.

"There are lots of them that could go into the squad and that's how it should be," said the England boss, who plans to watch a few games at the tournament.

"For the Under-21s it's going to be a big ask in the summer but if they come away from the tournament having done well these players will step up even more, in terms of their reputation."

Roy Hodgson said Southampton's James Ward-Prowse has a future with the senior England squad. Clive Mason/Getty Images

Hodgson will be keeping a keen eye on the Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

"We like him," Hodgson said. "We've kept our hands off him simply because of the Under-21s but we know he's a big prospect and at the moment he comes back from the Czech Republic he'll be very much in our thoughts because we like him very much."

There was also praise for Ward-Prowse's old Southampton teammate Luke Shaw, who also wants to play in the Czech Republic.

Shaw missed the senior games against Lithuania and Italy due to a hamstring problem, but Hodgson has been in contact with the Manchester United left-back to assure him he is still very much in his future plans.

"We like Luke Shaw," Hodgson added. "I've spoken to Luke but not met him recently. I was happy to speak to him, he knows what we think of him."

Hodgson will use the two-month gap before England's next double-header against the Republic of Ireland and Slovenia to cast his eye over the base he hopes to use during Euro 2016 in France.

"We're doing another recce to France," Hodgson added.