Mason: Don’t pick me
Southgate reveals United ace has put international career on hold until next year... & admits Bellingham asked for a rest
NOT long ago, Gareth Southgate declared one of his proudest achievements as England manager was to get to a point where NO player did not want to turn out for the national team.
Now, as he prepares to try to finalise a place at next year’s World Cup, Southgate admits that two of the country’s brightest young stars declined to accept a call-up.
Borussia Dortmund midfielder 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, though, 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, now 20, was sent home in disgrace after breaking Covid rules in Iceland.
The England manager explained: “There is no suggestion that what happened before is affecting things... that is not the case. We have tried to pick him.
“But anything else really, it is right for him to speak, because I might not be able to represent that in the fairest and most considered way.
“I think 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 the club, then maybe there isn’t an England career anyway. So I think that is very much part of his thinking.”
Bellingham, 18, wanted a physical rest last month and Southgate said he understood that 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 Callum Hudson-Odoi’s decision not to join up with the Under-21s. Southgate added:
“Callum feels he would be best served staking a case for the team with Chelsea. I think he has a better chance of impressing us if he is with the Under-21s as well, frankly.”
Other talking points surrounding Three Lions boss Southgate’s latest choices included the omission of Kieran Trippier and 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 fans.