Southgate Sticks With Players He Knows For Qualifiers

by David on March 16, 2023

England may have left the World Cup in Qatar broken once again after the disappointment of defeat by France in the quarter-final but manager Gareth Southgate obviously believes nothing needs fixing.

Southgate’s squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers away to Italy in Naples and against Ukraine at Wembley is heavy on loyalty to the England team that performed creditably in Qatar despite falling short once more.

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The most eye-catching selection is the inclusion of Brentford striker Ivan Toney after an outstanding season with 16 Premier League goals.

Toney was selected for the Uefa Nations League games against Italy and Germany last September but surprisingly remained unused before disappearing off the radar completely when it came to the World Cup.

The 26-year-old’s inclusion is merited but is made against the backdrop of Toney facing the prospect of a suspension after accepting he had broken Football Association betting rules.

He has admitted some, but not all, of 262 charges made against him by the FA, and will next have an appearance in front of a disciplinary panel.

Toney is only four goals behind England captain Harry Kane in the league goalscoring charts and his development under manager Thomas Frank at Brentford makes him a complete striker at domestic level.

He effectively takes the spot of Newcastle United’s Callum Wilson, who was in Qatar, although Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling is not included because of a fitness issue.

Southgate correctly stated that, with Toney is still playing for Brentford, there is no reason to exclude him from England.

England squad

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Defenders: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Maddison (Leicester City), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (West Ham)

Forwards: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford)