After missing out on the original squad, Jack Grealish has been called up to the England squad by manager Gareth Southgate.
The Aston Villa captain is replacing the withdrawn duo of Marcus Rashford and Harry Winks, who have both dropped out through injury.
Jack Grealish Called Up By England
Congratulations, @JackGrealish 👏
Welcome to the #ThreeLions!
— England (@England) August 31, 2020
Deserved Call-Up
The non-selection of Grealish when the original squad to face Iceland and Denmark was announced came as a surprise.
However, the 24-year-old is set to be called up, after several of the original squad have withdrawn.
Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Conor Coady has already been called up. The defender is a direct replacement for Harry Maguire, following his removal from the squad.
Elsewhere, Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles has also been selected.
It is the first time that the Aston Villa captain will have been selected to represent his country. However, it is the least that he deserves.
At times, it felt that Grealish was single-handedly carry Villa through games last season. The 24-year-old played a huge part in keeping Dean Smith’s side in the Premier League; as a result he was the named the club’s Player of the Season last year.
As a result of his performances last season – he registered 10 goals and eight assists in all competitions – Grealish has been linked with a move away from Villa Park. However, a move for the 24-year-old is yet to transpire.
First England Games of the Year
Following the postponement of friendlies and the Euro 2020 tournament, the Nations League games against Iceland and Denmark are the first time Southgate’s side have been together this year.
The England boss will be hoping that his side can go one better than what they did in the 2019 edition of the tournament. England finished third, as Portugal were crowned inaugural champions.
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