GARETH SOUTHGATE has confirmed his 26-man squad for Euro 2024 – with no places for the likes of Harry Maguire or Jack Grealish.
The ruthless England boss, 53, was tasked with cutting seven members of his provisional 33-man squad.
Last night it emerged that James Maddison had left the camp after learning that he had been omitted by Southgate.
It then emerged that Liverpool duo Curtis Jones and Jarell Quansah had also missed out – although the latter has remained with the squad on standby.
As expected James Trafford was then cut, with Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale and Dean Henderson selected as Southgate’s goalkeepers.
The bombshell then dropped that experienced duo Maguire and Grealish had failed to make the squad.
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Manchester United star Maguire, 31, had already been a doubt – having not played since April due to a calf issue.
Having hoped to be ready in time, the 63-cap defender lost his fitness race.
Grealish, meanwhile, was a more surprise omission.
The Manchester City star, 28, was limited to just 10 Premier League starts last term after falling out of favour with boss Pep Guardiola.
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But the 36-cap ace had still been expected to make it, having even grabbed an assist during his 27-minute cameo against Bosnia on Monday.
The seventh player to be cut by Southgate was defender Jarrad Branthwaite.
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Despite making his Three Lions debut against Bosnia, the Carlisle-born ace missed out – with centre-backs John Stones, Marc Guehi, Joe Gomez, Lewis Dunk and Ezri Konsa preferred.
Asked whether the squad announcement is among his most difficult days as manager, Southgate said: “No question.
“We’re a close team and every player and staff has felt the last couple of days with this decision looming.
“We have tried to [make decisions] respectively, and a understand is will be a devastating blow for them and their team-mates.
“But we’ve got that balance for excitement and a bit of remorse along the way.”
‘WE BACK OUR DECISIONS’
On leaving Maguire and Grealish out in particular, he added: “We’ve got some players who have been playing extremely well all season in the league and we feel other players have had stronger seasons, particularly in the last six months or so.
“Attacking areas, in particular, we’re blessed with a lot of options, and some different.
“Madders and Jack offer something different… we back our decisions but acknowledge we could have gone in another direction.”
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Harry Maguire
“The decision on Harry [Maguire] is totally about his physical condition and his recovery from the injury. There is no other reason as he is one of our strongest centre-backs.
“Harry has made some progress, but it’s been complicated and we wouldn’t have had him in the group stages. There were too many hurdles to get through without being clear where we might get to.
“Knowing we haven’t got a clean bill of health across the rest of the backline, we need players who are fit and ready to go from the start.
“It was a really difficult call, you know how I feel about Harry, what he’s done for England and for me as a manager. “
Jack Grealish and James Maddison
“Madders [Maddison] and Jack [Grealish] would have provided us with something different as well and they’ve been tough calls.
“They’re calls we’ve gone over and over and over as a group of staff to try to be fair and to try to use the right rationale.
“We back our decisions but we recognise we could have gone a different route. The boys are big characters, fabulous team-mates and great boys to work with.
“It’s sad to have to deliver that news to them.”
Jarrad Branthwaite
“It’s a bit early for Jarrad [Branthwaite]. He has had a fabulous season, it was good to get him on the pitch the other night.
“But of course, in an ideal world, you’d like that balance of left-footers. For him to be in ahead of the others, I don’t think it would have been the right call at this stage.”
Jarell Quansah
“Jarell Quansah has stayed with us. He’s not had the experience of an England international at Wembley. It’ll be great for him to be us for the game.
“Hopefully we’re not needing to call anyone else in.”
‘YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT HARRY’
Lifting the lid on Maguire’s situation, Southgate revealed: “Part of the reason we couldn’t take Maguire is that he would have been the 10th defender, and that would have meant an unbalance elsewhere.
“We definitely wouldn’t have had him in the group stages … we need cover and need players fit from the start.
“You know how I feel about Harry, what he’s done for England and what he’s done for me as a manager.”
Southgate was then quizzed over whether anyone has remained with the squad on standby, at which point he revealed: “Jarell Quansah has stayed with us.
“He’s not had the experience of an England international at Wembley. It’ll be great for him to be us for the game. Hopefully we’re not needing to call anyone else in.”
The Three Lions boss has opted to select both Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney as deputies to skipper Harry Kane.
On his decision to do so, he added: “They all offer something different.
“Ivan and Ollie know Harry is the starting guy but have different attributes and can help us in games.”
‘A CALCULATED RISK’
Having opted to omit Everton star Branthwaite, Southgate claimed: “It’s a bit early for Jarrad. He has had a fabulous season, it was good to get him on the pitch the other night.
“But of course, in an ideal world, you’d like that balance of left-footers. For him to be in ahead of the others, I don’t think it would have been the right call at this stage.
“At left-back, that’s why we’ve taken what I think is a calculated risk with Luke Shaw, one which I think is worth taking.”
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And his decision to axe Jack Grealish, as well as James Maddison, is further evidence of the Three Lions chief being unafraid to take big decisions with big-name players.
Harry Maguire is also among the seven players left out for the squad to travel to Germany for the Euros, although the decision to omit the Manchester United centre-back is based on his failure to recover from injury.
Southgate is, more than ever, picking on form.
Attacking midfielders such as Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen, Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon have been rewarded with call-ups for their excellent Premier League form, while Marcus Rashford, Maddison and Grealish all get the chop.
While the England boss is often regarded as an over-cautious nice guy, he took big decisions in getting rid of the likes of Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Chris Smalling at the start of his reign.
Southgate also jettisoned Raheem Sterling last year after the Chelsea man had been a regular starter throughout most of his reign.
And Jordan Henderson was left out of the 33-man preliminary squad having been a stalwart for Southgate throughout his previous three tournaments.
Grealish has been a cause celebre for England fans – who have often accused Southgate of holding an agenda against him.
But he has struggled for game-time with Manchester City all season, just as Maddison has been off-form since returning from injury at Spurs.
This is a bold changing of the guard from Southgate, who has relied heavily on Maguire, Henderson, Sterling and Rashford throughout his time in charge, while Grealish and Maddison are both popular flair players who fully expected to make the 26-man party for Germany.
Burnley keeper James Trafford, the Liverpool duo of Curtis Jones and Jarrell Quansah and Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite make up Southgate’s seven-man cull along with Grealish, Maddison and Maguire.
On Shaw, Southgate added: “Shaw has progressed really well in the past couple of weeks and we think he will be able to be involved in the second group game.
“I think you can take one gamble, and that’s one gamble which we have enough evidence on that we can take.”
Tottenham star Maddison, 27, was the first omitted star to publicly speak out.
He wrote on social media: “Devastated doesn’t quite cut it.
“Trained well and worked hard all week but if I’m honest with myself, my form for Spurs when coming back from injury in the second half of the season probably wasn’t at the levels I had set which gave Gareth a decision to make.
“I still thought there would be a space for me in a 26 man squad as I feel I bring something different & had been a mainstay in this whole qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 in Germany but the manager has made the decision and I have to respect that.
“I’ll be back, I have no doubt. Wishing the boys all the luck in the world out in Germany, unbelievable group and lads that I literally call some of my best friends. I genuinely hope football comes home.”
Jude Bellingham responded to Maddison’s post with a sad emoji.
While Declan Rice added: “We’re going to miss you brother.”
‘I AM DEVASTATED’
Maguire subsequently admitted that he was “absolutely gutted” to have missed out.
He wrote on social media: “I am devastated not to have been selected to play for England at the Euros this summer.
“Despite my best efforts, I have not been able to overcome an injury to my calf. Maybe I pushed myself too hard, to try and make it. Simply, I am absolutely gutted.
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“For me, representing England is the highest honour. It means everything to me. If I can’t help the team as a player, I will support them as a fan – along with the rest of the country. Go and win it boys.
“Next, I will return to the supervision of the Manchester United medical team in order to prepare for next season.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
