June 7th 2024.
It was a day of surprises for England football fans as Gareth Southgate announced his final squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 campaign. Among the biggest shock was the decision to leave out Jack Grealish, who has become a cult hero among the Three Lions supporters during Southgate's reign.
Grealish, who joined Manchester City for a record-breaking fee of £1,000,000 three years ago, had a stellar season with the Premier League champions last year. However, this time around, he struggled to make a significant impact on the team as they clinched their fourth consecutive Premier League title. The emergence of his former City teammate, Cole Palmer, who had an exceptional year with Chelsea, only added to the competition for places in England's attacking positions. With the likes of Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka already providing strong options, Southgate had a tough decision to make.
To cover the wide areas, Southgate has included players like Newcastle's Anthony Gordon and West Ham's Jarod Bowen in the squad. It is believed that their lower profile played a role in Grealish's omission. A source revealed, "It's easier to leave out other players on the bench. But with Grealish, the cameras would constantly be on him, and the commentators would be questioning why he's not playing if England were not in the lead."
Southgate's decision to leave out Grealish will be a topic of debate among football fans, but the England boss remains confident in his team's abilities. Speaking at a press conference, he said, "All the players accepted the decision respectfully. They all believe they should be in the squad, which shows their winning mindset. We have a lot of talented players in the attacking positions, and Madders and Jack offer something different. It was a tough call, but we stand by our decision, although we know we could have gone a different route. It was tough to break the news to them."
Grealish was not the only high-profile player to miss out on the squad. James Maddison, who had a disappointing second half of the season with Spurs, and Harry Maguire, who was struggling with an injury that kept him out of last month's FA Cup final, were also not included. A devastated Maddison took to social media to express his disappointment, saying, "I trained hard and gave my best, but my form with Spurs after returning from injury was not up to the levels I had set, giving Gareth a tough decision to make. I still thought I would make the 26-man squad, considering my contribution throughout the qualifying campaign. But the manager has made his choice, and I have to respect that. I'll be back, no doubt. I wish the boys all the luck in Germany. We have an incredible group, and they are some of my closest friends. I truly hope football comes home."
Maguire, who has been a key player in England's recent tournament successes, also expressed his disappointment, saying, "I am devastated not to be selected for the Euros this summer. Despite my efforts, I could not recover from my calf injury in time. Maybe I pushed myself too hard. Representing England is the highest honor for me, and I am truly gutted. If I can't contribute as a player, I will support the team as a fan, along with the rest of the country. Go and win it, boys. Now, I will focus on my recovery with the Manchester United medical team to prepare for the next season."
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