England squad revealed by Gareth Southgate ahead of World Cup in Qatar
England have announced their squad for the World Cup, with James Maddison and Callum Wilson among the 26 players heading to Qatar.
Manager Gareth Southgate’s picks also include Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham.
Those missing out include Brentford striker Ivan Toney, Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, Roma striker Tammy Abraham and Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho.
The manager has largely stuck with experienced players, with the most notable additions being Leicester’s Maddison and Newcastle’s Wilson.
Maddison’s only previous cap was as a substitute against Montenegro in 2019.
Southgate said he’d made the decision to include Maddison two weeks ago, saying that he was “playing really well” and had “earned the right” to be in the squad.
He added: “We think he can give us something slightly different to the other attacking players we’ve got.
“I think at various stages there have been conversations, debates about James. There’s been moments where ahead of the Euros I don’t think he was in contention and (in) September was probably a fair debate, but I think he’s playing as well as any of the attacking players in this country.”
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The numbers behind England’s World Cup squad
Asked if his squad contained everything necessary to win a World Cup, Southgate said: “We’ve wanted to make sure the balance of the squad is right.
“I think the squad is more important than ever. With five substitutes, you can have almost half the team changed during the game, so you want different options for different moments of matches and stages at the tournament as well.
“We’ve had to cover a couple of players that aren’t yet fully fit, so having 26 available meant we were probably able to take a couple of risks that you might not have been able to with 23. But we think the balance is there, and we’ve got cover in the positions we need.
“We’re lighter on depth in some positions than others, but we think we’ve got everything covered.”
England stars to keep up human rights stance
Addressing some of the issues around the World Cup being held in Qatar, Southgate declined to say whether the players would be taking the knee during the tournament, saying that was a decision for them to take themselves.
Asked if the team would be complying with FIFA’s plea to “let football take the stage” and not speak about human rights concerns in Qatar, Southgate said: “I think that’s highly unlikely.
“Contrary to one or two observations in the last few weeks we have spoken about the human rights challenges and been very clear on our standpoint.
“We would also like to focus primarily on the football – this is a carnival of football, a thing you work for your whole life.
“You don’t want that to be diminished by everything else that’s going on around it, but we recognise we are going to be in that situation.”
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England and Wales ignore FIFA’s ‘focus on football’ plea
‘My childhood dream’
Some players took to social media after the announcement, with Harry Kane tweeting: “So proud to be captaining my country at a World Cup for the second time.
“I know this group of lads will give absolutely everything to go all the way. Let’s go!”
Bukayo Saka also posted: “My childhood dream to play in a World Cup has come true!
“Qatar 2022. Let’s go @england.”
England’s fixture list
The tournament begins on 20 November and England’s first match is a day later against Iran at 1pm UK time.
Their second match is against the US on 25 November, followed by a final group game with Wales on 29 November. Both games start at 7pm.
Some of the squad have barely a week off before their campaign begins, as Premier League games are being played this weekend.
If England make it through as group winners, their knockout game will be on 4 December, and on 3 December if they finish second.
The last two major tournaments have seen the Three Lions come close to glory, but ultimately falling short.
They lost 2-1 to Croatia in the semi-final of the last World Cup, and were beaten on penalties by Italy in the final of the Euros last summer.
The Three Lions squad in full:
Goalkeepers
Jordan Pickford
Nick Pope
Aaron Ramsdale
Defenders
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Conor Coady
Eric Dier
Harry Maguire
Luke Shaw
John Stones
Kieran Trippier
Kyle Walker
Ben White
Midfielders
Jude Bellingham
Conor Gallagher
Jordan Henderson
Mason Mount
Kalvin Phillips
Declan Rice
Forwards
Phil Foden
Jack Grealish
Harry Kane
James Maddison
Marcus Rashford
Bukayo Saka
Raheem Sterling
Callum Wilson
