Gareth Southgate has made the England squad announcement for the country’s upcoming games against the Czech Republic and Montenegro later this month. Among the inclusions are West Ham’s Declan Rice, who receives his first call-up after switching allegiance from the Republic of Ireland, and Borussia Dortmund forward Jadon Sancho, who retains his place from the last international break following his excellent continued development in Germany.
Declan Rice and Jadon Sancho in England Squad
Declan Rice
Having completed his switch of nationality recently, Hammers midfielder Rice has received his first call-up to the senior England side. On the youngster’s inclusion, manager Gareth Southgate said: “His form warrants it. We like what we’ve seen in terms of his personality, his character and his leadership qualities. He’ll fit very well into how we work.”
The Other Inclusions
Dele Alli and Callum Wilson keep their places in the squad having both suffered from injuries since the last round of international fixtures, as does Eric Dier, who was missing for Tottenham Hotspur’s last match. While it was never likely that Alli would be omitted, Wilson and Dier are far from irreplaceable in the side, but Southgate has kept faith in the pair.
Southgate has also kept faith in Ruben Loftus-Cheek, despite only making sporadic appearances for Chelsea this season. The midfielder has been part of Southgate’s England plans since he took the job, so it’s clear that he sees the midfielder as a vital part of the squad.
Finally, Southgate has restored Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton to the side after he missed the 2018 World Cup through injury. The experienced stopper is being tipped for a big part in March’s fixtures after the less-than-impressive Premier League performances of Jordan Pickford recently. On his inclusion, Southgate said: “He’s played well. We know Tom – he’s been a really impressive character to have around our squad in the past, so this is a good opportunity for him to come back.”
The Ommisions
Injuries
Southgate has included Kieran Trippier in the squad for the upcoming games despite his current injury, but the boss has said the games have come too soon for Harry Winks and Jesse Lingard, which may explain the reason behind the inclusion of Dier.
Not Made it This Time
Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, who has one cap at senior international level, has not made it this time despite a recent purple patch with the Saints. On his exclusion, Southgate said: “We love Prowsey – this recent spell is his best since we capped him and he’s a world-class set-piece taker, but he’s only recently got back in the team at Southampton.”
The Full Squad
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Here it is – the #ThreeLions‘ squad for our opening two #Euro2020 qualifiers:https://t.co/3seiPqsZrO
— England (@England) 13 March 2019
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