Gareth Southgate has named his 33-man provisional squad for this summer’s Euro 2020 tournament.
Before June 1st, the England manager will have to whittle it down to just 26 players and that means some big names face being axed.
The talent available to Southgate these days is absolutely ludicrous and it’s why many believe the Three Lions will end their wait for a major international trophy in the near future.
England’s depth is so impressive that you can create a high-quality XI of players that didn’t even make Tuesday’s 33-man provisional squad.
Don’t believe that’s possible? Well, we’re about to prove you wrong.
Let’s take a look at our XI…
ENGLAND SQUAD ANNOUNCED FOR EURO 2020 (The Football Terrace)
GK | Alex McCarthy (Southampton)
Okay, the goalkeeper position was a bit of a stretch, as we couldn’t include Nick Pope due to the fact he only missed out through injury. McCarthy didn’t exactly have a bad 2020/21, though. He kept seven clean sheets and made 93 saves in his 30 Premier League appearances, which is pretty good going.
RB | Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United)
England are so spoilt for choice at right-back these days that unless Wan-Bissaka turns into a prime Cafu, he’s unlikely to feature for the Three Lions. In most other eras, the United full-back would be a mainstay in the squad.
The 23-year-old man who made Cristiano Ronaldo look decidedly average during Milan’s 3-0 memorable win at Juventus has somehow missed out on a call-up. Don’t worry, we’re just as baffled as you are.
CB | Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)
What on earth does Konsa have to do to earn an England cap?! The Villa man was one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League throughout the season and was probably more deserving of a place in the 33-man provisional squad than teammate Tyrone Mings.
LB | Matt Targett (Aston Villa)
Ask any Villa fan about Targett and they’ll wax lyrical about the no-nonsense defender for hours. He was immense in 2020/21, rarely dropping a bad performance. It could be argued that Ben Chilwell is slightly fortunate to have been picked ahead of him.
RM | Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United)
Bowen’s campaign with West Ham is seriously underrated. The former Hull City man scored eight goals and contributed five assists in his 2,576 minutes of league action, a very handsome return. The 24-year-old is perhaps not at England level quite yet, but he’s a serious talent nonetheless.
CM | Joe Willock (Newcastle United – on loan from Arsenal)
The box-to-box midfielder netted eight Premier League goals in just 14 games for Newcastle, striking in seven consecutive fixtures at the end of the season. If Willock replicates something close to that form at Arsenal in 2021/22, he’ll surely receive a call from Southgate.
CM | James Maddison (Leicester City)
Unfortunately for Maddison, competition for the attacking-midfield roles in the England squad is more fierce than ever right now. It’s a real shame, because the Leicester man is more than good enough to be a top international team’s creator-in-chief.
LM | Jack Harrison (Leeds United)
No English midfielder contributed to more Premier League goals in 2020/21 than Harrison. The Leeds man scored eight and assisted the exact same amount, a return that means he has to at least be on Southgate’s radar – right?
ST | Patrick Bamford (Leeds United)
Ollie Watkins and Dominic Calvert-Lewin both scored less league goals than Bamford in 2020/21, yet the Leeds striker is the one to miss out on a place in the 33-man provisional squad. You have to feel for the 27-year-old.
ST | Danny Ings (Southampton)
Despite being hampered by injuries, Ings still managed to score 12 Premier League goals in 2020/21, more than both Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling. Not bad, Danny.
