YOUNG LIONS HUNGRY FOR EURO SUCCESS
Southgate wants fresh faces to guard against complacency
GARETH SOUTHGATE says his new-look England squad will have more “hunger” going into the European Championship.
The Three Lions manager called three new faces into his 33-man training squad ahead of the tournament and believes fresh blood can stop complacency creeping in.
Liverpool duo Jarell Quansah and Curtis Jones and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton have all been given a chance in an inexperienced provisional squad, while Southgate has cut nine players since the 2022 World Cup.
But Southgate says he enjoys what new players add to the group, insisting that Anthony
Gordon and
Jarrod Bowen gave the squad a lift in March and brought the potential to shake up the more established stars.
Gordon enjoyed a breakthrough season at Newcastle while Bowen now looks a certainty to make the plane to Germany when the final 26 is announced on June 8.
Southgate said: “We believe the Gordons and the Bowens have had brilliant seasons. We liked the hunger that they came in with.
“That gives a different dynamic to training and competition for places. It doesn’t allow complacency within the group.”
Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford have played in nine tournaments between them but are victims of the cull. Southgate has never been afraid to make big calls, axing Wayne Rooney and Sterling in the past, and now Rashford has gone too.
Southgate still has a major issue at left-back. He has little option but to play a right-footed player there but says that is a familiar problem for Premier League clubs.
Top-flight sides are using inverted full-backs who step into midfield and Southgate says it will not be a huge issue for Kieran Trippier or Joe Gomez to play there if necessary.
Southgate said: “There are very few left-footed left-backs playing.
“Trippier and Gomez have performed as well in those areas, or better than the others. Some of the biggest clubs in our league have had to adapt without a natural left-back.
“Some have played midfield players there, some have played centre-backs there. We’re going to have to do something similar. “So you’ve got to change the way that you build, and work out how you can be as unpredictable with the ball as possible, even though you’ve not got a left-footer there. “There isn’t another player like Luke Shaw who can build and come and play off the outside of his foot with that sort of craft. “We just have to find a different way to do it.”