Greenwood and Foden ‘weren’t in contention’
ENGLAND manager Gareth Southgate has admitted he never considered Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood for his latest squad as he handed Harry Maguire a recall.
Maguire was selected in a 30man squad to face Wales, Belgium and Denmark having been picked for, then left out of, last month’s matches after being arrested and subsequently found guilty of assaulting a police officer, swearing, resisting arrest and bribery in Greece in August.
The Manchester United captain (pictured), who denies the offences, has appealed against the verdict and 21-month suspended prison sentence and is awaiting a retrial, has played in three matches for his club this season.
In bringing him back into the fold yesterday, Three Lions boss Southgate said: ‘I said last month there was absolutely no reason we couldn’t pick Harry this time.
‘He’s been our most reliable defender over the last couple of years, so it wasn’t even a consideration in terms of whether he would be in the squad or not.’
Southgate, meanwhile, revealed it was always his intention to omit
Manchester City midfielder Foden and United forward Greenwood after they were sent home after last month’s Nations League
fixture in Iceland having breached coronavirus guidelines at the team hotel.
He added: ‘I had a chat with both of them before we left Iceland to go to Denmark and tried to offer support but was pretty clear it would be impossible to pick them in October.
‘I’ll definitely speak to them before the next camp as we were never going to consider them for this one.’ Southgate believes omission from this squad is punishment enough. ‘We have to send a message to players at every age level that sort of thing isn’t how we do things with England,’ he said.
‘Then we’ve got to rehabilitate these two boys. Young people will make mistakes. These lads have suffered enough now.
‘I think they need this period of reflection but that gives them the opportunity to get back on their feet with their clubs, enjoy their football again.
‘I can speak to them after this camp and it will be just be about their form then.’
After issues with Maguire, then Foden and Greenwood, Southgate was asked about how he plans to address squad discipline, and the responsibility that comes with playing for England.
‘Players who have worked with us for a long time know how we operate and know we won’t duck decisions. You can have a way of working and a style that’s perhaps more aggressive but in the end the decisions you make send a message,’ he added.
‘We will discuss the shirt, what it means to wear it and some reminders on how we work but that’s not (us) reading the riot act.’