5 players who deserved a spot in Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad
On Tuesday, Gareth Southgate named his England squad for the upcoming UEFA European Championship Qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montenegro.
There were some notable inclusions in the squad, in particular that of Declan Rice, who was called up for England for the first time after changing his allegiance from the Republic of Ireland, for whom he made three appearances for.
One of Southgate’s biggest decisions will come in goal, where, despite an impressive showing at the World Cup, Jordan Pickford has come under scrutiny for some below-par performances in the Premier League. He has made some high profile errors, which included gifting Divock Origi a winner for Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby at Anfield.
Tom Heaton is the man most likely to benefit if Pickford is dropped. The Burnley goalkeeper has had an excellent season thus far, and has looked back to his best after a serious shoulder injury he sustained last season.
Another issue that Southgate faces is the form of some of his star players from the World Cup in Russia. Kieran Trippier has had a poor season with Tottenham, and has likely dropped behind Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker in the pecking order, while Harry Maguire has been inconsistent, and Dele Alli has struggled with injuries.
There are a few players who missed out on a spot in Southgate’s latest squad, despite being worthy of a spot. Here are five men who were unfortunate to have been left out of the squad.
#1 Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace)
The Crystal Palace right-back is the one who will feel the hardest done by in not getting a place in the squad. The 21-year-old has been a consistent performer for Palace ever since breaking into the team last season, and he has been one of the top young players in the Premier League this time around.
His defensive statistics this season are excellent. Only eight times have players dribbled past him in the league this season, and he averages an impressive four tackles per game. His performances have seen him linked with the likes of Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund, and Palace face a real fight to keep hold of him this summer. With Trippier’s continuing struggles, he was more than deserving of a spot in Southgate’s squad.