SM
Watford vs. Oxford Utd: 6 hrs 18 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Gareth Southgate happy with squad balance after naming travelling party

:Headline: Gareth Southgate happy with squad balance after naming travelling party: ID:326063: from db_amp
Gareth Southgate believes that England's 23-man squad for Russia 2018 is 'exciting' and has the right balance between youth and experience.

England boss Gareth Southgate has declared himself happy with his 23-man squad for this summer's World Cup finals in Russia.

Southgate did not name any wildcard options in his travelling party for the quadrennial tournament, meaning no room for Ryan Sessegnon or Jadon Sancho - two players reportedly in the manager's thinking.

The Three Lions' squad does include uncapped defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, however, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek - used just twice at senior level - has also been included.

Among the big-name absentees are Joe Hart, Jack Wilshere, Chris Smalling, Ryan Bertrand and Adam Lallana, the latter of whom has been included on the stand-by list, and Southgate has justified his decision to leave out some key men.

"I believe this is a squad which we can be excited about," he told the Football Association's official website. "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.

"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 selection process has been over months really, it's not just been the last few weeks. We feel the team are improving and we want to continue that momentum.

"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 performances deserve it."

Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski, Lewis Cook and Jake Livermore have also been named on England's stand-by list.

amp_article__326063 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2018-05-16 15:09:33:
html db last update - 2018-05-16 15:09:33 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Gareth Southgate

Click here for more stories about England

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .