Southgate Explains Newcastle Snub, Namechecks 5 Mags, Shares Dan Burn Story And Hails Howe
Gareth Southgate insists that Callum Wilson missed out on his England squad as he’s “carrying an injury” and is unsure when the striker will be fit to play.
Ollie Watkins and Eddie Nketiah were selected ahead of our number nine yesterday, but he wasn’t the only Mag to miss out, as Nick Pope, Anthony Gordon, Sean Longstaff and Dan Burn were overlooked again. Some of those are to be expected, yet it’s become a theme that Southgate selects underperforming ‘big six’ players when so many on Tyneside are playing out of their skin.
Southgate hailed the “fantastic job” Eddie Howe is doing and the “spirit of the group” at Newcastle. He then namechecked four other Mags in Dan Burn, Jamaal Lascelles, Kieran Trippier and Elliot Anderson, revealing that he first saw Burn back in 2013, where he was hooked at half-time for Birmingham. It was a scouting trip to watch Jesse Lingard, but sums up how far the Geordie defender has come to be scoring against PSG in the Champions League a decade later.
Southgate credited Jamaal Lascelles, who he previously worked with at U21 level, for his leadership and patience, flagged up his faith in Kieran Trippier before others realised what a great player he is and praised Anderson’s big potential; but insisted the youngster will be given time to decide on his international future. Here’s everything the England boss had to say on Newcastle…
“He’s done a fantastic job. The spirit of the group. I saw Dan Burn play years and years ago (2013) at Leeds for Birmingham and he got taken off at half-time. I’d actually gone to watch Jesse Lingard. If you’d said at that point in his trajectory he’d have ended up scoring a key goal against PSG in the Champions League for Newcastle, I’m sure he’d have given you a strange look.
“There are some fabulous stories. Jamal Lascelles was with us in the Under-21s and has been a fantastic leader for Newcastle. He has had to be fantastically patient waiting for his chance. There are those sorts of stories all over the pitch.
“I know Kieran Trippier is flavour of the month now, but we used to pick him (for England) and people used to laugh. He’s proved himself again and again and again.“
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