Why is Mason shunning England? SOUTHGATE COY ON STAR’S ABSENCE
GARETH SOUTHGATE is on record as saying one of his proudest achievements as England manager was to get to a point where every player wanted to turn out for the national team.
Now, as he prepares to try to seal England’s place at next year’s World Cup, Southgate admits two of the country’s brightest young stars have declined to accept a call-up.
Jude Bellingham is back in the fold for the games against Albania and San Marino but, it transpires, decided not to make himself available for last month’s qualifiers against Hungary and Andorra.
Mason Greenwood has put his very brief international career on hold until next year, despite playing well over 100 games for Manchester United and scoring a host of important goals.
Southgate denies there is still fallout from the time, 14 months ago, when Greenwood was sent home in disgrace after breaking Covid rules in Iceland.
The England manager said: “There is no suggestion that what happened before is affecting things… that is not the case. We have tried to pick him, but it is right for him to speak about anything else because I might not be able to represent his views in the fairest and most considered way.
“I have given everybody an overview of how it is and where I have been fair is to say that he absolutely wants to play for England.
“He recognises that there is a bit of a journey and, if he doesn’t get it right and doesn’t nail down the situation at his club, then maybe there isn’t an England career anyway.
“So that is very much part of his thinking.”
Bellingham, 18, wanted a rest last month and Southgate said he understood the Borussia Dortmund midfielder’s
reasoning. But, although Southgate said a young player’s refusal to accept a call-up would not affect future opportunities, he sounded less impressed with Chelsea youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi’s refusal to join up with the Under-21s.
Southgate said: “Callum feels he would be best served staking a case for the team with Chelsea. He has a better chance of impressing us if he is with the Under-21s as well, frankly.”
Other talking points surrounding Southgate’s latest choices included the omission of Atletico Madrid full-back Kieran Trippier and AC Milan centre-half Fikayo Tomori.
But it is the absence of Greenwood – now acknowledged as one of the country’s most natural finishers – that will continue to puzzle England supporters.