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Former England striker Alan Shearer has picked his 26-man Three Lions squad to head to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this month.
Gareth Southgate is yet to name his final roster for the marquee event but pundits and fans have all been making their predictions in recent weeks. Shearer has now weighed in on the selections and believes the defense could be the trickiest to pick.
Writing about how Southgate's defense could shape up at the FIFA World Cup in his column for The Athletic, Shearer opined:
"It’s not just about questionable fitness — it’s about form, too. With [Kyle] Walker, it’s fitness, with Harry Maguire it’s form and a lack of game time — one start in the league for Manchester United since August.
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"It’s form for Eric Dier, Luke Shaw, Trent Alexander-Arnold. Kieran Trippier must be one of the first defenders on the team sheet at the moment, while Ben White is full of belief at Arsenal, but there are some big calls to be made here."
Shearer also highlighted how his spot in England's squad for the 1996 UEFA Euro was under the scanner. He eventually finished as the tournament's top scorer with five goals as the Three Lions made it to the semifinals.
Reflecting on his experience and linking it to how even players who aren't in form could still perform at the upcoming World Cup, he further wrote:
"There are occasions when you can turn a blind eye to form heading into a tournament; I know that more than most.
"I hadn’t scored for England for a couple of years prior to Euro 96 and with really good players like Ian Wright, Les Ferdinand, Andy Cole, Robbie Fowler and Teddy Sheringham jostling for my place, there was a decent argument to leave me out.
"The counter-argument was the 31 league goals I scored in 35 appearances for Blackburn Rovers."
Shearer also touched upon Harry Maguire's current situation at Manchester United, adding:
"Maguire has barely been playing, while his performance in England’s 3-3 draw with Germany in the [UEFA] Nations League draw back in September hardly inspired confidence.
"Picking him in your starting XI would represent a huge gamble, but the problem is that Maguire is not an isolated example. There is a wider feeling of rustiness and insecurity. I suspect Gareth will go with three at the back. I wouldn’t; I’d go with four."
Alan Shearer's 26-man England squad for FIFA World Cup
Alan Shearer's 26-man England squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope.
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, Ben White, Conor Coady, John Stones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire, Eric Dier.
Midfielders: Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, James Maddison, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson, James Ward-Prowse.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Callum Wilson, Tammy Abraham, Marcus Rashford.
The Three Lions have been drawn into the FIFA World Cup's Group B alongside Wales, Iran and the United States. They begin their World Cup campaign against Iran on November 21.
