Southgate backs rookies for World Cup
Gareth Southgate has stated that “four or five” of the young players he blooded with England over the past two friendlies are “realistic options” for his World Cup squad.
Jordan Pickford, Joe Gomez, Harry Maguire and Ruben LoftusCheek all impressed in the drawn games against Germany and Brazil. Debuts were also handed to Tammy Abraham, Jack Cork and Dominic Solanke.
“We’ve gained possibilities and options these last 10 days because we’ve four or five players who have become realistic options for us in terms of the squad and maybe some in the starting XI as well,” the England manager said, having suffered a spate of withdrawals before the matches and having also dropped several senior players.
Although Loftus-cheek went off injured in the first half against Brazil, it is understood that he had already done enough to convince Southgate he is a strong contender for Russia. The same goes for Pickford, Gomez and Maguire. Abraham remains more of an outside hope.
Added to Harry Winks, who was injured but did well when he started the final World Cup qualifier away to Lithuania, and Nathaniel Chalobah, who Southgate intends to include if he recovers his fitness in time, after breaking a kneecap, then England will have an overhauled squad for the World Cup.
The manager said: “Some of those guys are getting their opportunities. Ruben is now playing, Tammy is playing, Joe is playing but hopefully there’s also a message to others as well. We’ve given these guys an opportunity and believe there are others coming through the youth system. Hopefully, we’re showing people what youth development in our country can produce.
“I think they [the young players] have taken responsibility. They’ve shown belief and they have worked for each other. They have shown how hard they have dug in for each other at difficult moments. I know they are basic qualities but they are qualities we have been accused of not having in the past and I think we have shown that in abundance.”
Southgate is committed to the change in formation – to a 3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1 system that he believes better suits the players available – that he used in the past two matches. “We think we are on the right road in terms of the system,” he said. “We think that allows also some of the players that aren’t here to fit in and give us other options.”
England do not play again until another pair of friendlies, away to Holland and Italy, neither of whom have qualified for the World Cup, in late March.