‘We owe Joe but nobody is safe’
JOE HART has been warned that nobody can take their England shirt for granted as he prepares for a watching brief at the Stade de France tonight.
England manager Gareth Southgate insists Hart is still No1 despite questions being raised about his inability to keep either of Leigh Griffiths’ free-kicks out against Scotland on Saturday.
But Southgate had already decided that Burnley’s Tom Heaton would start against France tonight, with Stoke City’s Jack Butland set to
come on at the break as one of six available substitutions.
“I don’t want anyone to feel completely comfortable because that’s not helpful,” said Southgate. “We want competition for places.
“Next season we don’t know who’ll be playing at which club, who’ll be in form.
“Joe has been excellent for us. The goals on Saturday were the first he’d conceded in qualifying and we owe him for a great save he made against Slovenia. His contribution around the
group has been excellent since I’ve been manager.
“But players have got to play their way into that sort of situation. I know Jack is a goalkeeper of high potential and I have huge belief that Tom wants that position as well.
“Let’s see what they do next season.
“They’ve both been along the pathway at different age groups and Jack’s experience is as good as any other young goalkeeper in terms of an English goalkeeper: Olympics, U20s, U21s.
“Joe has been excellent but there’s competition for places.”
Tonight also marks the first time a senior England team will be given the benefit of a Video Assistant Referee.
It means incidents in the build-up to goals, penalty decisions and