My England Squad Reaction - May 2022

Gareth Southgate has confirmed his latest England squad, with two players potentially gaining their England debuts whilst a big name is left out. In this blog post, I will be discussing the squad in full and talking about any possible players that have been left out of the squad completely. 

The latest squad will cover England’s Nations League matches against Hungary, Germany and Italy in June. England will begin by travelling to Hungary on Saturday 4th June. We will then travel to the Allianz Arena to face Germany on Tuesday 7th June before returning to England for a match on Saturday 11th June against reigning European champions Italy before again facing Hungary on Tuesday 14th June. Both of those matches will be taking place at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton. 

Goalkeepers;

Gareth Southgate’s squad unsurprisingly features three goalkeepers and I have to say, on current form these are the correct selection for me. Our number one will be Everton’s Jordan Pickford. The 28-year-old may have had a difficult league campaign for his club as Everton narrowly avoided relegation, with a game to spare. However, for England, Pickford has always delivered when it matters and his passion shines through his performances. Burnley’s Nick Pope has also been selected, despite his side’s relegation from the top flight. In recent weeks, Pope has pulled off some outstanding individual performances and his inclusion is once again justified. Finally, Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale takes the final place in this squad. Ramsdale has had an outstanding campaign for the Gunners, keeping 22 clean sheets as Arsenal blew their champions league hopes, in the final few matches. 

Defenders;

Southgate has confirmed that eleven defenders have been named in the latest England squad. Firstly, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold has returned to the national side in the hope of becoming our starting right-back. Wolves captain Conor Coady is perhaps a surprise inclusion but for me, his place is justified. He’s had a much improved season this year, including quadrupling his goal scoring tally. Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi has had an outstanding season under Patrick Vierra this season. The 21-year-old has enjoyed his break-out season after being sold by Chelsea and his performances have completely justified his inclusion. Elsewhere, Chelsea’s Reece James makes the squad, despite a disappointing few weeks for the Blues. James has improved his goal contribution tally throughout the season but has played less games due to injury. Leicester’s James Justin is finally named in the England team after heartbreakingly missing out on last years European Championship squad after suffering an ACL injury. His versatility will play into Southgate’s hands given he can play in either full-back position. The most talked about inclusion was Manchester United’s Harry Maguire. He has had a poor season at United and has made several key mistakes. However, for England he is a completely different player, arguably our best defender and he for me is one of the first names in the squad. Premier League champions Manchester City have both John Stones and Kyle Walker in the squad, fresh from their title win. Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier and Arsenal’s Ben White also make the squad. The final defender is AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori after a phenomenal debut campaign in Italy as AC Milan claimed their first title in 11 years. 

Midfielders;

Just six midfielders have been named in Gareth Southagte’s latest squad. Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham is the first name selected. The 18-year-old has managed three goals and eight assists in Germany in his second season for the club. Crystal Palace loanee Conor Gallagher has been selected in the current squad despite a tricky few weeks for the midfielder. Chelsea’s Mason Mount has also been selected after an interesting season where he’s scored 11 and assisted a further ten, becoming one of England’s top players last season. Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips returns to the England squad after missing the friendlies earlier in the year due to injury. He will be desperate to reclaim his Euro2020 form going into this international break. West Ham’s powerhouse Declan Rice unsurprisingly makes the list after yet another successful season as his side reached a European semi-final and once again made Europe for next season. Finally, Southampton’s star man James Ward-Prowse completes the midfield selection after a strong individual season for the Saints. 

Forwards; 

To finish, Southgate has confirmed that seven forward’ have made the official squad list. Firstly, Roma’s Tammy Abraham makes the squad off the back of 17 goals in his debut season under Jose Mourinho in Italy. West Ham’s go to forward Jarrod Bowen has finally been called up to the England squad after a campaign to remember in which he scored 12 goals and got 10 assists as The Hammers guaranteed a European place. Manchester City trio Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling have also retained their places in the squad. Foden will be fresh off the back of winning the Premier League young player of the season award for the second season on the bounce whilst Grealish will be keen to put the haters to rest and show everyone what he can do on the international stage. Sterling has had another brilliant season and is always one of the first names on the team sheet. Finally, Tottenham’s Harry  Kane and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka complete the squad. Kane especially with be keen to break Wayne Rooney’s goalscoring record before the World Cup in November. 

Who’s Missing? 
Manchester United’s Luke Shaw misses out after undergoing surgery in Early April to remove two metal plates in his leg after his 2015 leg-break. Although fit, he misses out on the squad. Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings has also been dropped following his poor performances for Villa and I can’t say I’m surprised by that. Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe also fails to make the squad but has just been named in England’ U21s squad. Tottenham’s Eric Dier and Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson also miss out despite much improved performances of late for their teams. However, the biggest name to miss out is Leicester’s James Maddison. The 25-year-old has managed 18 goals and 12 assists for his club this season, making him the most in-form English player this season but amazingly, he doesn’t make Southgate’s side. Statistically speaking, Maddison is in better form then both Foden and Grealish but both are ahead of him. Some people have said to drop Gallagher but him and Maddison are completely different players. 

However, What Do You Think?

Feel free to let me know your thoughts on the latest England squad on Twitter (@CallumMosMedia) and also let me know if you feel a certain player should have made the squad that hasn’t. Even if it’s a player I’ve already mentioned. 

Thanks For Reading!