YOUR 2024 EURO’S ENGLAND SQUAD IS DECIDED… GREALISH SENT HOME

Only at the last European Championships was Jack Grealish seen as England’s “poster boy", receiving by far the most media attention. However, Grealish’s below par 2023/24 campaign, with Premier League champions Manchester City, means his summer will be spent at home watching England compete.

Grealish, Harry Maguire, Jarell Quansah, Curtis Jones, James Maddison, James Trafford, Jarrad Branthwaite are the seven who have been dropped from the preliminary squad, with the likes of Adam Wharton and Anthony Gordon earning a place.

In my opinion, I think the squad selection is almost perfect. Due to form, Wharton and Gordon certainly deserve their space on the plane, with many others also set to take part in their first international tournament. Maguire’s calf injury will rule him out for the group games, so that emission is on injury only and gives the opportunity to the versatile Joe Gomez. With out-of-form Maddison and Grealish, Southgate either had to take both or neither, and he’s gone with neither. All football fans are well aware of the two’s talents, but Southgate has clearly gone with form over history, possibly giving England more momentum going into the tournament.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is always in the media attention with the England squad, no matter what the scouser does. His impressive strike, ironically from Grealish’s cross, in England’s most recent friendly against Bosnia earned him Man of the Match, solidifying his spot (if it wasn’t solidifed already). However, despite the volley happening when he was in his natural right back role, Trent is still being listed as a midfielder in the squad list, what has Southgate got planned for the Liverpool vice captain?

The only emission from the squad which I felt personally was undeserved was Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite. Despite little England experience, he and England No1 Jordan Pickford have tallied up an impressive 13 clean sheets in the most recent Premier League campaign, with only title challengers Arsenal having more. Branthwaite also looked more solid in his second half cameo, alongside the selected Ezri Konsa, than Marc Guehi and Lewis Dunk in the first half, both of which failed to impress with mistakes and nerves present. Nevertheless, a very exciting England squad. Will this be the year football comes home?