Gareth Southgate has explained his decision to omit Raheem Sterling from the England squad for the fifth consecutive time.
Sterling, who hasn’t featured for England since the World Cup quarter-final in December 2022, has been left out for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.
Southgate’s choice was influenced by the strong performance of the current squad, and he sought to maintain their momentum by retaining the same group of players.
He emphasised Sterling’s quality and significance to the team while assuring that the door remains open for his return in the future.
“The door is 100 percent open, not only for Raheem,” Southgate stated. “We don’t need to know about his quality or personality. He is a crucial part of why we’ve had the journey we’ve had in the last few years. I can only repeat, the team is playing really well. We had an exceptional win here against Italy. Who do we leave out to put him in? It’s as simple as that.”
"The team are playing really well, who do we leave out?" ❓
Gareth Southgate explains why he has decided not to include Raheem Sterling in this latest England squad 🏴 pic.twitter.com/13mQkVIAWH
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 9, 2023
RELATED: Social Media Reactions To Gareth Southgate’s England Squad Announcement
Responding to questions about whether he was upset with the player, Southgate clarified, “No. Who am I leaving out to put him in? He wasn’t available in March or June, so the team started on a good run.
“We won in Italy for the first time in 60 years. The two performances in June were excellent. We’ve stuck with that group pretty much throughout this qualification campaign and deliberately not made many changes. Performances have been excellent. Raheem’s looking dangerous for his club, he looks invigorated since the start of this season. The door is absolutely open.”
Raheem Sterling’s Promising Run Of Form
While Sterling had a slow start to the Premier League season, he is gradually regaining his form and has contributed three goals in the last four matches for Chelsea.
He displayed his dynamism and creativity from the flanks on Monday night, providing an assist in Chelsea’s victory over Tottenham.
Before Sterling enjoys a period of rest, he has an opportunity to prove himself to Southgate when Chelsea face former club Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
