SOUTHGATE: NO ONE IN THIS SQUAD IS ANYWHERE NEAR THE LEVEL OF ROONEY
NOW that Wayne Rooney’s international retirement puts a full stop next to the last of England’s Golden Generation, Gareth Southgate is in no mood to flatter Dele Alli and others that they deserve to be compared to England’s record goalscorer.
Southgate understands the impact created by Rooney at the start of his international career because he was in Sven-Göran Eriksson’s squad when the 17-yearold made his debut against Turkey in 2003.
So while the England boss is an admirer of Marcus Rashford, Alli and Harry Kane, he refuses to soft-soap them or any of the group he has named for the World Cup qualifiers.
“When Wayne came through he was at a level that’s different to any of the players we’ve got at the moment,” said Southgate.
“I was obviously playing with him at that time and his strength, goalscoring, range of passing and intelligence at 17 was better than any of the players in the squad. We’re talking a different level.
“In my time with England, there was Gascoigne, Scholes and Rooney who were just a little bit more than all the others and we’re talking high-level people like Gerrard, Beckham and Lampard.
“The really outstanding talents are very few and far between. That’s where Rooney was and at the moment all of our guys have got that to prove.”
As for mention of a new golden generation, Southgate does well to suppress a laugh.
“There is no basis. We’re talking about potential in some cases and we’ve got to try to help that come to the fore,” he stresses.
“Our games against Spain, Germany and France last season were a great guide to me. In moments we showed we can play to a really good level, score goals against top teams and defend well. But we didn’t win any of those games.”
There is method behind Southgate’s message of reality. Even Champions League winners and international household names like Beckham and Rooney failed to take England beyond the quarter-finals.
Alli and Kane, each valued in the £100 million class, haven’t won anything yet for Spurs and were part of England’s team humiliated by Iceland.
“Our players may think they are there but we’re not yet and that’s the message. When we start beating some of those top teams, then we can start getting a bit more excited.
“Dele is young and exciting, his goal record is phenomenal, but he’s not a proven player. We’re enjoying working with him but we’re also going to keep pushing him because we think he can get better. There’s always a challenge and he has got to challenge the likes of Rashford and Vardy, Lallana and people like that. Sterling can also play No 10.”
Adding to the theme that praise may be hard-won in the current England regime, Southgate dismissed the idea that any of the England under-20s side that became world champions this summer were ready for senior call-ups, though he promised to keep an eye on the two Dominics, Calvert-Lewin and Solanke, and Lewis Cook of Bournemouth.
“On the one hand they are world champions and on the other they still have to challenge to have a career at the highestpossible level,” he says.
If that all sounds rather austere for a manager who will have more than one foot in next summer’s finals in Russia if results go to plan, he is glad to welcome back Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck after longterm injury concerns.
It was Sturridge’s opening goal against Scotland at Wembley last November that proved pivotal in interim manager Southgate getting the England job full-time.
“I spoke with Jurgen (Klopp) about picking Daniel and he was very positive about that. Jurgen has been impressed with his physical preparation this summer and we know he can score goals.
“We could have taken the view he hadn’t played enough but we haven’t seen him for six months. It is good to let him know he is still on our radar. It’s also good to see Danny back and looking strong. We know he can play a couple of roles which will be a valuable asset depending on how we play.”
Previous Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers once criticised England for over-working the fragile Sturridge in training. There has been regime change at Anfield since and Southgate quipped: “I’d be surprised if we go any more than Jurgen!”
The England boss named 28 players from 15 clubs in his squad. Part of the reason was to avoid the need for call-ups if this weekend claims injuries.
Eric Dier is suspended for the trip to Malta hence the sense in picking both Jake Livermore and Watford’s uncapped Nathaniel Chalobah.
Harry Maguire’s first call-up as an additional centre-half to Cahill, Stones, Jones and Smalling increases Southgate’s tactical flexibility, having often played himself in a three-man defence.
“It’s a good option. You’re surrounded by it in the Premier League which is an interesting development and even Germany played that way in the Confederations Cup, which represents a real shift. 3-4-3 can become 5-4 if you lose the ball or are defending the lead, and that’s bloody hard to break down.
“Harry plays in a four at Leicester but we want people like him who can use the ball. Some aggression in our defending is necessary too, but in international football the ability to build from the back is important.”
The Premier League monster has led to terms like “great” and “world-class” being overused, but Southgate still enjoys watching outstanding talent as he travels the country, even if they’re not always English.
“Liverpool have some outstanding attacking players – I saw that in the Champions League play-offs against Hoffenheim,” he said.
“I did ask Jurgen if Sadio Mane had any English grandparents! That’s the level our players are competing against, isn’t it?” – Daily Mail