A week ago, Gareth Southgate reduced the size of his first England squad for Euro 2024, but there is still much disagreement regarding Jack Grealish’s exclusion.
Grealish, 28, struggled with consistency at Manchester City the previous season, but he was predicted to play a major role for England at the European Championships this summer. Rather, he will be observing the competition from a distance.
The decision by Southgate to include Grealish in his final 26-man squad for the Euros has received a lot of attention. And despite the fact that England’s Group C opening against Serbia is approaching quickly on Sunday, there will likely be more people who disagree with Southgate’s decision for some time to come. Mirror Football examines the context of Grealish’s exclusion here.
Southgate’s reversal
Grealish is a player that Southgate has long defended, even going so far as to bat for the former Aston Villa player when things were tough. Back in October, the Three Lions manager revealed that Grealish was “brutally honest” about his own performances at all times, and Southgate thought he was frequently “too harsh” on himself.
Under Southgate, Grealish has been a consistent member of the England team in recent years, earning 36 caps for his nation. But only a few months after declaring that Grealish was too hard on himself, Southgate decided not to include him in his squad for the European Championship.
In terms of attacking regions, we are spoiled with choices that each offer something a little bit different. “They’re tough calls, because [James Maddison] and Jack give us something different as well,” Southgate said following the release of his final 26-man roster. As staff, we’ve gone over it numerous times in an effort to be fair. Although we support our choices, we acknowledge that there was another option. These lads are fantastic to work with and have big personalities.
Jack Grealish conveyed in two words
Grealish hasn’t publicly commented on the decision to leave him off the Euros team, but he has made it clear in a social media post on his Instagram account how much it means to him to represent his nation.
“Nothing better” is the succinct yet impactful remark Grealish penned for a photo of himself representing England in their most recent victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina.
The true cause of his rejection
An intriguing perspective on the matter comes from former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who believes that Southgate has never fully evaluated Grealish. The England manager, he claims, disregarded the player when he was playing at his peak for Aston Villa.
Before Sunday’s play against Serbia, O’Hara gave an explanation in an interview with Grosvenor Sport, saying, “I don’t think Southgate ever really loved Grealish.” When he was playing some of his finest football, at Aston Villa, he was never called up for England, but when he joined Manchester City and began to play every week, Southgate had no choice but to include him.
Before the first whistle blows, you may get your hands on the brand-new Nike home and away kits for the Three Lions, who are among the favourites to win the Euro 2024 competition this summer.
Jack’s injury has prevented him from playing as much this season, which is a worry. Due to his injuries and lack of playing time for City, Southgate has found it easier to leave him out of the starting lineup. In my opinion, he has never really recognised Jack’s skill as a player and likely believes that there are players better than him.
Because I like Jack, I felt bad for him in this difficult decision. Characters are essential in the changing room, particularly during weeks away from home. You need guys who possess such qualities. He’s a terrific player and a wonderful chuckle. It would be a major mistake to leave him out in favour of Anthony Gordon and Ebere Eze, who have not received any awards, given he has won trophies and played a significant role in winning the triple.