Gareth Southgate: Who else deserved a Three Lions call-up?

By Ninad Barbadikar

Football

Mon September 11, 2023 · 2y ago

Southgate's latest squad selection has failed to inspire any excitement... Again.

The big names are still there, but senior favourites of Southgate, including Kalvin Phillips, Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson, have certainly raised eyebrows after inclusion in the squad.

Eddie Nketiah gets his first call-up in what is a welcome move for a player who has taken his chances effectively in the first-team minutes he has seen for Arsenal.

There are still a few absentees from the squad that certainly warranted selection, especially with Southgate's squad in need of a refresh ahead of the Euros next summer in Germany.

With that in mind, here are a few names that should have been called up.

Raheem Sterling

This is the big move.

The kind of boldness that you wouldn't expect to see from Southgate, but this time he decided to avoid calling up Raheem Sterling, who has been a crucial presence in the England setup, albeit suffering a decline at club level over the past year.

He seems to have found his best form under Mauricio Pochettino now at Chelsea. Two goals in four games backs that up.

Sterling's incredible start to the season is also evidenced in his underlying numbers in possession, he has had the most successful dribbles and the highest amount of progressive carries overall this term.

The former Manchester City winger's relationship with Kane on the pitch was a big feature of Southgate's attack. However, if Sterling can keep this form up, expect a speedy return to the camp for him.

James Ward-Prowse

David Moyes could not have asked for a better start from new signing James Ward-Prowse.

The 28-year-old completed a seemingly inevitable exit from Southampton this summer, joining the Hammers' rebuild in the wake of Declan Rice's move to Arsenal.

Since joining, Ward-Prowse has scored one and provided three assists in the Premier League for Moyes and co.

That kind of form and the unique strengths that Ward Prowse brings to the table makes him a valuable addition to the side, and the intangibles that he brings to the dressing room are just as valuable.

Set-pieces are likely to be a big strength for this England team in the months to come and if there's one player to maximise the output from those situations, it's Ward-Prowse.

Jarrod Bowen

Staying with West Ham, another player that deserved a call-up was forward Jarrod Bowen.

After finishing last season with 11 goal contributions, he has followed suit at the start of this one with three goals and one assist so far in the Premier League.

West Ham's Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse

He has averaged 3.00 shot creating actions so far this season according to FBRef and also ranks second in the squad for progressive carries behind Said Benrahma.

Bowen's latest goal against Brighton was a huge signal of his quality, taking the ball down with one touch and deftly finishing past helpless keeper Bart Verbruggen.

At 26, Bowen is at the peak of his powers for West Ham and will no doubt be pushing for a place in the Euros squad next summer.

Solly March

What else does a player have to do to get an opportunity? The curious case of Solly March continues.

The Brighton man ended last season with a career-best 14 goal contributions, consisting of seven goals and seven assists, and on his day, looked like one of the best right-wingers in the Premier League.

Roberto De Zerbi's arrival transformed him from an industrious fullback into a highly effective wide forward, granted the freedom to express himself in forward areas, which paid dividends at the very highest level.

March's form, combined with other Brighton stars led to European qualification for the Seagulls, and with three goals in four starts so far this season, he looks set to pick up where he left off last season.

On form, there isn't a better player to make for an argument for to be included in the Three Lions setup.

Rico Henry

Much like March himself, Brentford's Rico Henry has been hard done by with recent misses from Southgate.

Since the Bees' promotion campaign to the Premier League, he has been one of the most consistent left wing-backs in the country.

The 26-year-old hasn't lacked in his start to this season either, ranking high across a number of valuable metrics.

Brentford's Rico Henry

His attacking influence is underlined by his six passes into the penalty area in four games, which is the highest total so far in the Brentford squad. He also ranks high in the squad for successful take-ons as well as progressive carries this season.

In the context of Luke Shaw's injury, it makes Henry's exclusion all the more curious.

Ollie Watkins

Perhaps one of the more notable exclusions from this squad, Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins is one English forward who has not put a foot wrong in the past 12 months.

Yet to find the back of the net this season, Watkins has nonetheless already made two assists for a fearsome Villa attack.

He will be raring to follow up his 21 goal contributions in the Premier League with more this season, and with the Euros coming up, his qualities and improvement under Unai Emery's guidance will no doubt be useful for Southgate.

This season, his creative underlying numbers have been particularly impressive. Only one Villa player has more key passes than his total of eight thus far, and no other Villa player has had more touches in the penalty box than him.

All the signs are saying that Watkins is looking primed for another great season with the Midlands outfit.

With Southgate curiously deciding to go with Callum Wilson, who has only played 96 league minutes, Watkins will likely have a strong case to replace him by the next international break.

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