Parlour: Gareth’s ruthless
RAHEEM STERLING and Ben White have been told to accept they might never play for England again under Gareth Southgate.
Chelsea forward Sterling and Arsenal defender White have both started the season in top form – but they have been out in the cold since they separately left the Qatar World Cup squad for personal reasons in December.
Sterling, in particular, had been a bedrock of Southgate’s success with only Harry Kane being awarded more caps since he took charge in 2016.
But former England midfielder Ray Parlour, a victim of Southgate’s ruthlessness when he played under him at Middlesbrough – and who also invoked Glenn Hoddle’s anger at England level – believes the proven pair can forget about going to next summer’s Euros.
The Arsenal Invincible said: “Raheem can’t play any better than he has been for Chelsea, so it looks like that ship might have sailed. It is a situation where sometimes you do fall out.
Squad
“Ben White is another. I can’t believe he’s not in the squad. I don’t know what’s happened, whether they fell out, or he said, ‘I don’t want to play for England any more’, or whatever.
“I am sure Gareth has made his mind up to say, ‘Those guys might not play for England again’.
“You’ve just got to accept it. I did the same when Glenn Hoddle was manager, and I said the wrong thing to Eileen Drewery.
“I had to wait for him to get sacked to get back into the squad. It might be the same with those two guys. Who knows?
“The thing at Middlesbrough was just a joke that is behind us now. I was near the end of my contract there, but it did mean I left sooner than planned.”
Parlour, speaking as an ambassador for Netbet sports betting, might not agree with Southgate’s stance, but understands his methods as he tipped England to go all the way in Germany next summer.
“You have got to be ruthless at times,” he added. “You must have your morals and your way of doing things. It still looks like a very happy squad.”
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