Wayne Rooney tells Gareth Southgate two calls he got wrong for England's Euros squad
Wayne Rooney reckons Gareth Southgate got two selection calls in his Euro 2024 squad wrong.
The England boss named a bold squad for the tournament, leaving out one of his long-time favourites in Jordan Henderson, plus playmakers Jack Grealish and James Maddison. Instead, Southgate opted for players who have had regular game time, which the aforementioned trio haven’t enjoyed this season.
Naturally, the squad didn’t delight everyone, with fans still debating its make-up ahead of Sunday’s Group C opener against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen. Former England striker Rooney is largely happy with Southgate’s picks, aside from two.
The recently appointed Plymouth boss had no qualms with Maddison being left out but reckons young Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite and Manchester City's £100million man Grealish should have been on the plane to Germany.
“Grealish, I would have taken him,” he told Gary Neville on The Overlap. “On the right, you’ve got [Bukayo] Saka, Cole Palmer, [Jarrod] Bowen, Phil Foden can play out there too. I would have taken Grealish instead of Bowen, just to bring a bit more balance and give something a bit different as well.
“And Branthwaite was one for me, just for the balance of the backline. Big lad, good on the ball, has had a good season, I would have taken him.”
Manchester United's Harry Maguire, a stalwart under Southgate, didn’t make the cut for fitness reasons while his regular centre-back partner at international level, John Stones, hasn't had the best preparation for the tournament.
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Gareth Southgate surprisingly cut Jack Grealish from his England squad for the Euros
The Man City man, who went off injured in the friendly defeat to Iceland, missed training today (Wednesday) through illness. Rooney admitted he is concerned about England's defence but lauded Southgate’s attacking options.
“For me, the backline is a worry,” he said. “The attacking players are unbelievable, probably the best we’ve had, but the backline is a big worry for me.”
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