Danny Mills believes Conor Coady should ‘next on the list’ to start for England behind Harry Maguire and John Stones.
The Everton defender recently joined up with the squad for international duty, but failed to make an appearance in the defeat to Italy on Friday or yesterday’s draw against Germany. Despite a solid seven-year spell at Wolves and an encouraging start to life at Goodison Park, the 29-year-old has only picked up 10 England caps and is yet to feature in a major tournament for his country.
But the defender was part of the England squad that made it to the Euro 2020 finals last summer, and was even dubbed as player of the tournament by assistant coach Steve Holland for his qualities inside the dressing room. And with Gareth Southgate’s defensive selections once again under scrutiny, former England full-back Mills has backed Coady to make an impression.
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“I think Coady is next on the list,” Mills told TalkSPORT. “You know what you’re going to get, he’s got a few caps, he’s solid, he’s steady, he’s a good lad. He’s a good pro, he’s not going to cause issues if he’s not in the team.
“If Stones and Maguire get injured…Coady comes into the team.”
Coady’s new-found tactical versatility can only increase his stature within Southgate’s plans, with the Everton defender looking comfortable in a back-four under Frank Lampard in recent weeks - the exact reason Wolves manager Bruno Lage allowed him to leave. The Three Lions boss likes to interchange between a back-three and a back-four during tournaments, making someone like Coady an ideal option.
But Coady also faces stiff competition in that role, with the likes of Ben White, Marc Guehi and Fikayo Tomori all playing well for their clubs and fighting for a place in the squad. Southgate is due to announce his 26-man World Cup squad towards the end of October.
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