HONESTLY, EMILE’S CLASS
AIDY BOOTHROYD believes a combination of honesty and intelligence can help Emile Smith Rowe reach the very top.
England Under-21 coach Boothroyd has handed the Arsenal starlet his first call up for this month’s European Championship group games.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season, making 15 starts and scoring two goals.
Boothroyd said: “Emile has been outstanding for his club. ‘Honesty’ is the word that jumps out about him. We can talk about all the technical qualities he’s got, his willingness to work for the team. But he is so honest in what he does. He is desperate to please.
“The key thing I like so much about him is his football brain. He is one of those players who sees things happening before they occur. We are only seeing the start of him. If he can stay fit we have got a real player on our hands.”
England’s 23-man squad fly out to Slovenia for their Group D games next week, starting with Switzerland on Thursday week, followed by Portugal and Croatia.
The four group winners and four runners-up qualify for the knockout finals in Slovenia and Hungary from May 31 to June 6.
Boothroyd has handed first call ups to PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke and goalkeeper Josh Griffiths, on loan at League Two Cheltenham from West Brom.
Also in the squad is Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has had experience with the senior squad.
Madueke, 19, left Tottenham for PSV three years ago, and Boothroyd said: “Noni’s got a brilliant brain, he’s quick, very athletic, he can score a goal and he can assist. He’s a little bit like Phil Foden at the 2019 Euros. Nobody had really heard of him until he came and played. That set him off on a trajectory and we hope Noni and all the players can create more positive attention.”
SQUAD: Bursik (Stoke), Griffiths (Cheltenham), Ramsdale (Sheff Utd), Aarons (Norwich), Godfrey (Everton), Guehi (Swansea), Kelly (Bournemouth), R Sessegnon (Hoffenheim), S Sessegnon (Bristol C), Tanganga (Spurs), Wilmot (Watford), Davies (Everton), Eze (C Palace), Gallagher (West Brom), Jones (Liverpool), McNeil (Burnley), Skipp (Norwich), Brewster (Sheff Utd), Greenwood (Man Utd), HudsonOdoi (Chelsea), Madueke (PSV), Nketiah (Arsenal), Smith Rowe (Arsenal).