June 10th 2024.
It was a disappointing day for Jarrad Branthwaite as he was not chosen to represent England in the Euro 2024 squad. Many were not surprised by this decision, including Rio Ferdinand, who believed that the defender had not yet proven himself to be a good fit for Gareth Southgate's playing style.
Branthwaite had an impressive season with Everton, catching the eye of many with his skills at the heart of Sean Dyche's defence. This led to his first call-up to the senior England team in March. He even made his debut in the 3-0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, he was later left out as Southgate trimmed his 33-man squad down to 26 for the upcoming European Championships.
While Branthwaite missed out, other defenders such as Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, and Kyle Walker were chosen for the squad. They will now compete for a spot in the starting lineup for England's first game against Serbia.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was not happy with Southgate's decision to leave out Branthwaite, calling him "England's present and future." However, Ferdinand believed that Southgate made the right call, despite Branthwaite being linked with top clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal.
"I don't see it as a surprise," Ferdinand said on the FIVE YouTube channel. "The way Branthwaite has played this season, and he's done really well at Everton, he has done really well...the clean sheets that they've had, etcetera."
Ferdinand explained that Branthwaite's style of defending, which involves staying back and playing a low-block, does not align with England's desired playing style. He added, "England don't want to play like that. England want to have the ball and pass and start attacks. He hasn't shown that he can do that yet at the top level."
On the other hand, Ferdinand has been impressed by Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi's performance and revealed that former Palace manager Patrick Vieira had praised the young defender, saying, "This kid, whatever level he goes to he'll get to that level."
Southgate also spoke about Branthwaite's exclusion from the squad, stating that while the defender had a "fabulous" season with Everton, it was still too early for him to be chosen for a major tournament. He explained that they wanted more left-footers in the squad, but ultimately decided that it was not the right call at this stage.
In the end, Southgate took a risk by choosing left-back Luke Shaw for the squad, but he believes it is a risk worth taking. As the team prepares for the Euros, all eyes will be on the chosen defenders and their performance on the field.
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