World Cup 2018 England squad: Who is in the England squad?
Gareth Southgate has chosen the 23 players he will be taking to Russia this summer for the World Cup and he believes the squad he is one “we can be excited about”. The 23 players have just 49 caps between them and an average of 19.5. Southgate said: “I believe this is a squad which we can be excited about. “It is a young group, but with some really important senior players so I feel the balance of the squad is good, both in terms of its experience, its character and also the positional balance.
I believe this is a squad which we can be excited about Gareth Southgate, England manager
“We have a lot of energy and athleticism in the team, but players that are equally comfortable in possession of the ball and I think people can see the style of play we’ve been looking to develop.” The manager of the England squad said it was a process which took months not weeks. There are some notable omissions from the line-up, including goalkeeper Joe Hart, Ryan Betrand and midfielder Jack Wilshere, who were regulars throughout the qualification campaign. The goalkeepers on Southgate’s list include Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland and Nick Pope.
PA World Cup 2018 England squad: Gareth Southgate has picked the 23 players he is taking to Russia
“With Joe, we’ve got three other goalkeepers who have had very good seasons and the decision I was faced with was do I keep Joe in and have experience around the ground? Or give the three guys who have basically had a better season a chance? We felt the players all needed to be in on merit after their performance this season,” Southgate said. The manager has chosen some young talent for the line-up, such as Liverpool teenager Trent Alexander-Arnold who is uncapped at a senior level. “The first call up for Trent Alexander-Arnold is well deserved. When we pick young players, it’s not just because they are young, it’s because their performance deserve it,” Southgate said. The players on Southgate’s list of standbys include Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski, Lewis Cook, Jake Livermore and Adam Lallana.
PA World Cup 2018 England squad: Gareth Southgate believes the team is one 'we can be excited about'
World Cup 2018: Star players who could earn big transfers this summer Wed, May 30, 2018 The World Cup will play host to the planet's greatest players – and these stars could earn huge transfers Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 11 Nabil Fekir – France (Linked with: Liverpool)
Southgate offered some consolation by saying: “History tells us that one of those standby players may end up in the squad, as it’s very unusual for us to get through the end of the season and our two preparation games without any issues.” Harry Kane has been called upon to captain the England team at the world cup. The 24-year-old will lead his nation into their 15th World Cup. Kane said: “It’s an amazing honour. To be leading the lads out is going to be special.” The Three Lions have two warm-up matches before flying out to Russia for the tournament. The first against Nigeria on Saturday June 2 and Costa Rica on Thursday June 7.
PA World Cup 2018 England squad: Harry Kane has been chosen to captain the England team