Southgate omits several stars from England's Euro 2024 squad
England manager Gareth Southgate has unveiled his 26-man squad for Euro 2024. The coach previously named 33 players to the roster for two friendlies before the competition in Germany. The Three Lions recently beat Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday by a score of 3-0. They will next face Iceland on Friday, June 7th in their final tune-up to the European tournament.
The seven players to be cut from England‘s squad were Jack Grealish, Harry Maguire, James Maddison, Jarell Quansah, Curtis Jones, James Trafford, and Jarrad Branthwaite. The last four players on the list are all young and inexperienced in the national team. Nevertheless, Grealish, Maguire, and Maddison are established Premier League stars.
The Manchester City winger previously cost the club well over $100 million in his move from Aston Villa in 2021. Maddison also made a big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur last year after finding success with Leicester City. The two attackers likely assumed they would make the final roster but have now been overlooked. Maguire, on the other hand, only missed out due to a recent injury.
Three Lions take strong list of attackers to tournament
After the final squad was officially announced, Southgate faced the media to defend his moves. The coach claimed that he felt “other players had stronger seasons” than both Grealish and Maddison. Grealish’s typical position out on the left flank will likely be occupied by a combination of Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, and Eberechi Eze. The Crystal Palace attacker started the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on the left wing.
Maddison’s normal role as an attacking central midfielder is also a strong point for Southgate. Stars such as Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, and the aforementioned Foden will likely be rotated in the position. After being notified by Southgate, Maddison wrote on X that “devastated doesn’t quite cut it” regarding being slashed from the squad.
England not selecting players such as Grealish and Maddison shows how stacked their attack is. Along with the aforementioned creative players, the Three Lions also have stars such as Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Ollie Watkins, Jarrod Bowen, and Ivan Toney. Southgate will surely have a selection headache with the quality of players up front.
The defense will be biggest question mark for Southgate
Despite the potent offense, England’s biggest worry heading into Euro 2024 is likely in defense. Although Maguire has struggled during his time at Manchester United, he has been a mainstay in central defense for Southgate. With the veteran on the sidelines, England will now have to select a new partnership in front of the goalkeeper.
John Stones is likely to lead the central defense in Germany. Besides the City star, Southgate also has Joe Gomez, Marc Guéhi, Lewis Dunk, and Ezri Konsa to choose from. With Stones not yet in the squad due to only recently playing an FA Cup final, the England coach went with the pairing of Guéhi and Dunk on Monday.
Quansah is not on the 26-man squad. However, the Liverpool defender is in the standby list. As a result, the youngster will be part of the team’s upcoming friendly against Iceland.
Crystal Palace has the most players named in the England squad with four. Along with Eze and Guéhi, Dean Henderson and Adam Wharton both feature in the team as well. The 20-year-old midfielder was perhaps the most surprising selection by Southgate.
England’s official 26-man squad for Euro 2024:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale.
Defenders: Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker.
Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton.
Forwards: Jude Bellingham, Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins.
PHOTOS: IMAGO