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England manager Gareth Southgate has named a 24-man squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Iceland and Denmark. Southgate, whose national sides tend not to vary too much, has shaken things up a little and introduced a number of new faces to the England setup this time.
Apart from some interesting inclusions, there are also a number of exclusions that will have people talking.
Here we will dive into 5 of the biggest talking points from Southgate's most recent England squad. First, here, are the players that made the cut:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eric Dier, Joe Gomez, Michael Keane, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Keiran Trippier, Kyle Walker
Midfielders: Phil Foden, Mason Greenwood, Mason Mount, Kalvin Phillips, Marcus Rashford, Declan Rice, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, James Ward-Prowse, Harry Winks
Strikers: Tammy Abraham, Danny Ings, Harry Kane
#5 Ings over Wilson
Few will complain about this change given the scintillating form Danny Ings displayed throughout last season's Premier league campaign where he went from scoring 7 goals in 2019/20 to 22 in 2019/20.
Callum Wilson's scoring output, on the other hand, dropped from 14 in 2018/19 to 7 in 2019/20 and saw his club team Bournemouth get relegated to the Championship.
While all the statistics point to this being a completely logical switch in personnel, it does seem noteworthy given Southgate's previous loyalty to Wilson, who has been a mainstay in his previous England squads.
Ings is a form player and his inclusion along with the likes of Henderson, Foden, Greenwood and Phillips, could hint at a change in philosophy in terms of Southgate's England squad selection.
All of these players finished the end of the season in strong runs of form and the fact Southgate has chosen to include them in his England side over a number of regulars he has tended to call up in the past, does seem like a change. Perhaps Southgate will now rotate his England players more and continue to pick whoever's form is best moving forward.
Picking form players versus sticking with a regular England squad has been a long standing talking point surrounding England managers and this potential shift in stance from Southgate should not be overlooked.
#4 Harry Maguire's inclusion
Harry Maguire was thrust into the limelight following his big-money transfer from Leicester City to Manchester United prior to the start of last season. Maguire immediately became a permanent fixture in an improving United side and worked his way to becoming captain by the end of the season.
That's not to say it was all smooth sailing as United often seemed frail in defense and a number of rival fans being quick to label Maguire as a flop. While Maguire has been a talking point all season, his inclusion now is particularly interesting.
Maguire was arrested in Greece prior to the England squad announcement and has since been found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and bribery.
While the details of what went on in the incident are still unclear, one can only assume Southgate and the England setup were not anticipating this outcome when they named him in the New England squad. Moreover, his inclusion makes you wonder just how aware the England staff were of the incident all together.
While it remains to be seen just what the repercussions of the incident will be, his name will certainly continue to be a talking point until the full details are understood.
#3 Kalvin Phillips' inclusion
Few will be upset by Kalvin Phillips' inclusion in the England squad as it's hard to knock the young man whose exceptional performances this season led to Leeds finally getting promoted back to the Premier League.
Phillips was a standout in a strong Leeds team and has showed impressive versatility as he's been utilized both as a holding midfielder and a central defender by manager Marcelo Bielsa. Phillips has bundles of talent, works hard and has a great future ahead of him at just 24 years of age.
With that being said, it is impossible to ignore the fact that Phillips is a player with no Premier League experience whatsoever. Standing out in the Championship is one thing but given the wealth of English talent that performs week in and week out in the Premier League, Phillips does seem to be jumping the queue, particularly when you look at other names that have not been included.
Championship players are almost never included in England squads, despite a wealth of talent at that level, and no-one has been suggesting great young talents like Eberechi Eze, who scored 14 and assisted 8 in the Championship, should be included in the squad.
Phillips himself said he was surprised his call-up had come so soon and most are happy to see his inclusion, there's certainly an argument his call-up could have been delayed.
#2 Jack Grealish's exclusion
Jack Grealish was one of the top stars in last season's Premier League. The midfield maestro was the heart and soul of an Aston Villa side who seemed doomed to go down, but retained their Premier League status on the last day of the season following a heroic performance from none other than Grealish.
Grealish scored 8 league goals, added 6 assists and was fouled more than any other player in the division. His performances have led to mass speculation that Grealish may leave Aston Villa in this transfer window and sign for a bigger side more suited to his abilities. With all this going for him, it does seem a little surprising he still remains outside the England squad.
One can certainly make the case that England are blessed in terms of depth at Grealish's preferred position of attacking midfield with youngsters Mason Mount and Phil Foden occupying the two spots there in the England side this time around. However, Grealish is right there in terms of statistics and performances and by doing so at a much weaker club in Aston Villa, one can only wonder what he'd be able to achieve as part of the England squad.
#1 No left-back
The 8 defenders Southgate named in his 24-man squad, Alexander-Arnold, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Mings, Trippier and Walker all have one thing in common. None of them play at the left-back position.
It seems inconceivable that given the extensive planning that goes in to every one of England's squad selections, such a glaring positional omission could take place. England are now going have to make do without a single player with regular experience at the left-back position against opposition that, while admittedly beatable, are also both capable of springing an upset.
Southgate must have been aware of this and will be trusting one of the players he did select to plug this gap either as a wing-back or at a more traditional full-back position. If this is the case the question becomes why?
Some may point to a lack of options at the position but the likes of Ben Chilwell and Bukayo Saka immediately spring to mind as players more than capable of fulfilling this role for England. It's also not as if some of the other defensive players Southgate did include are irreplaceable, with Keane just one of a number of names who seem a little fortunate to have made the cut.
The decision to not include a single left-back in his England squad is a baffling one and one that even two winning performances from England are unlikely to vindicate.
