England’s squad has been confirmed for the World Cup.
With 11 days to go until the Three Lions kick-off their Group B campaign against Iran, Gareth Southgate has revealed the 26-man group that will be travelling to the Gulf next week.
The boss has largely stuck with the tried and tested, with the most eye-catching selections being Leicester attacking midfielder James Maddison and Newcastle striker Callum Wilson.
Maddison’s only England cap came as a substitute against Montenegro in November 2019 - the last squad four-cap Wilson was involved in.
Here’s who made the cut for Qatar:
Goalkeepers
Jordan Pickford (Club: Everton, Age: 28, Caps: 45, Goals: 0)
Has not featured in the past four England games due to injury but has steadfastly kept hold of the England number one shirt ever since Southgate deemed him worthy and has now started to show the same consistency with his club as he has for his country in recent years.
Key stat: Enjoyed a run of seven consecutive clean sheets for England between November 2020 and July 2021, equalling the record set by Gordon Banks in 1966.
Nick Pope (Newcastle, 30, 10, 0)
Has been in and around the England set-up for some time, with his 10 caps spanning a period of over four years but his move to Newcastle has earned him new-found recognition, although his ability with the ball at his feet could see him come up short in the battle against his goalkeeping rivals.
Key stat: Has conceded just 11 goals in his 14 Premier League games this season having moved to Newcastle from Burnley in the summer.
Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal, 24, 3, 0)
Earned cult status with Arsenal supporters following his appearances in the All or Nothing documentary series but has backed it up with fine performances on the pitch, playing a pivotal role in the Gunners’ march to the top of the Premier League table.
Key stat: Was named player of the year in consecutive seasons with Bournemouth (2019/20) and Sheffield United (2020/21) despite being relegated on both occasions.
Defenders
Kyle Walker (Manchester City, 32, 70, 0)
Untimely groin surgery almost put pay to his World Cup chances but Walker is such a trusted lieutenant of Southgate’s that he was going to make the cut if there was even the slightest chance he could be fit for the finals.
Key stat: Was one of three England players to be named in the Euro 2020 team of the tournament.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool, 24, 17, 1)
While being key to Liverpool’s recent success he still does not have the full backing of Southgate, who has faced fierce backlash for not selecting the right-back on a regular basis and has even trialled him in a midfield role in the past.
Key stat: Has provided 44 assists across the last four full Premier League seasons.
Kieran Trippier (Newcastle, 32, 37, 1)
His risk at leaving Atletico Madrid for Newcastle certainly paid off as he is now part of one of the Premier League’s meanest defences while continuing to contribute with assists at the other end of the pitch.
Key stat: His one and only England goal was a fine free-kick to open the scoring in the 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia, which the Three Lions went on to lose after extra-time.
Ben White (Arsenal, 25, 4, 0)
Was on standby for a place at Euro 2020 but surprisingly earned his place in Southgate’s squad this time around having shone at right-back for Arsenal since the start of the season and can still provide more than capable cover in the centre of defence.
Key stat: Named player of the year at Brighton (2020/21) having previously won the same honour during loan spells with Newport (2017/18) and Leeds (2019/20)
Conor Coady (Everton - on loan from Wolves, 29, 10, 1)
England assistant Steve Holland named Coady the nation’s player of the tournament at Euro 2020 despite the fact the centre-back did not feature - showing just what a valuable contributor he is to the squad away from the pitch.
Key stat: Captained England’s Under-17s to European Championship success in 2010.
Harry Maguire (Manchester United, 29, 48, 7)
Retains the faith of Southgate even though his club form has dipped to the extent he is not a regular starter for Manchester United despite being club captain. He has repaid that belief in the past and will need to do so again to avoid stinging criticism.
Key stat: While keeping clean sheets is Maguire’s main role, he is also the highest-scoring defender in England’s history having netted on no fewer than seven occasions.
John Stones (Manchester City, 28, 59, 3)
Has formed a strong bond with Maguire in recent years and rarely puts a foot wrong when playing for his country, also probably the only guaranteed starter in a back-three given the form and fitness of his peers.
Key stat: Became the first City player to score at a World Cup since Trevor Francis in 1982 when he netted twice in a 6-1 win over Panama in 2018.
Eric Dier (Tottenham, 28, 47, 3)
A drop off in performance and a lack of football at club-level cost Dier his place in Southgate’s squads but having had a watching brief for Euro 2020 he is back amongst it having rediscovered his previous form.
Key stat: Had to wait 674 days for his 46th England cap having not played since November 2020 until the recent 1-0 Nations League loss to Italy.
Luke Shaw (Manchester United, 27, 23, 3)
Southgate has been a long-term admirer of the left-back, who has finally managed to stay injury-free for long enough to establish himself for club and country and his attacking prowess will be called up in Qatar.
Key stat: His three England goals have come in his last eight caps, his first was the opener just two minutes into the Euro 2020 final.
Midfielders
Declan Rice (West Ham, 23, 34, 2)
Has taken over as captain of West Ham and his leadership skills bely his age while his drive and determination make him a perfect fit in the engine room of Southgate’s midfield.
Key stat: Rice was capped three times by the Republic of Ireland before making the switch to represent England.
Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund, 19, 17, 0)
Oozes class and is a remarkably gifted and precocious talent who has been slowly transformed into a key part of Southgate’s team and there will be plenty who feel his performances could go a long way to dictating England’s success.
Key stat: Became the youngest-ever England international to play at a major tournament when he was capped against Croatia at Euro 2020 aged 17 years, 349 days.
Conor Gallagher (Chelsea, 22, 4, 0)
Making his way at Chelsea after a number of loan spells, most notably last season at Crystal Palace - a campaign which earned him his first England cap.
Key stat: Due to his heritage, Gallagher was eligible to represent England, Scotland or the Republic of Ireland.
Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City, 26, 23, 0)
A mainstay of the team that reached the final of Euro 2020, a big-money move has yet to pay off but the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ is another whose tenacity and toil, coupled with an ability to drive forward with the ball, mean he goes to Qatar despite only recently returning from a shoulder injury.
Key stat: The midfielder has played just one minute of Premier League football this season following his summer move from Leeds.
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool, 32, 70, 2)
Has won almost every major honour as captain of Liverpool but now likely to find himself in a back-up role in Qatar given the emergence of Bellingham, Rice and Phillips.
Key stat: Henderson did not score his first England goal until his 62nd cap - heading home during the 4-0 Euro 2020 quarter-final win over Ukraine.
Mason Mount (Chelsea, 23, 32, 5)
Has not been in the greatest form for Chelsea but is a player who always retains the faith of the England manager and can change a game in an instant.
Key stat: Was named player of the tournament as England won the Under-19s European Championship in 2017.
James Maddison (Leicester, 25, 1, 0)
The clamour for Southgate to make space for Maddison in his squad only grew as he kept putting in match-winning performances for a struggling Leicester side, but it remains to be seen will he get the chance to do the same on the international stage.
Key stat: Has scored 28 Premier League goals since his picking up his one and only England cap to date on November 14, 2019.
Forwards
Harry Kane (Tottenham, 29, 75, 51)
Quite simply England’s talisman and the main goal threat for Southgate’s side, the Tottenham striker also wears the armband and has come the closest captain since Bobby Moore to lift a major honour for the Three Lions.
Key stat: The World Cup golden boot winner in Russia four years ago heads into the 2022 finals just two short of Wayne Rooney’s all-time goalscoring record for England.
Raheem Sterling (Chelsea, 27, 79, 19)
Goes into the tournament on the back of a poor run of form since joining Chelsea from Manchester City in the summer but his experience and goals at international level far outweigh the other wide attacking options available to Southgate.
Key stat: Scored just two goals in his first 45 England caps before going on a run of 15 in his next 20.
Jack Grealish (Manchester City, 27, 24, 1)
Still yet to fully adapt to life at the Etihad Stadium and his England career has also yet to ignite, although he had a groundswell of support inside the stadiums during Euro 2020 due to his unpredictable approach.
Key stat: Became the first Englishman to move for £100million when he left Aston Villa for City in 2021.
Phil Foden (Manchester City, 22, 18, 2)
A product of the City academy who is now at home among the multitude of attacking players assembled by Pep Guardiola, although he has yet to recreate his club form for England for a meaningful length of time.
Key stat: His two England goals came in the same game - a Nations League victory over Iceland in November 2020.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, 21, 20, 4)
Recovered from missing the decisive penalty in the Euro 2020 final defeat and a stream of racist abuse that followed to become a key member of Arsenal’s table-topping side and heads in Qatar in fine form.
Key stat: Only Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne has provided more than Saka’s six Premier League assists so far this season.
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United, 25, 46, 12)
His recent form played him into contention for a place in the squad having not kicked a ball for England since he missed a penalty in the Euro 2020 final shoot-out defeat, and an ability to also play off the flank offers another option to Southgate.
Key stat: Became the youngest England player to score on debut when he struck after just three minutes into a friendly win over Australia in 2016.
Callum Wilson (Newcastle, 30, 4, 1)
Since returning to fitness he has shone as the focal point of Newcastle’s attack, earning him a recall having last been capped in October 2019 although his recent injury woes will surely be of some concern for Southgate.
Key stat: Of the current England squad, only Kane and Sterling have scored more Premier League goals than Wilson’s tally of 67.
Who missed out?
Chelsea defenders Ben Chilwell and Reece James were already ruled out by injuries in the run-up to the announcement with James Justin another to succumb to a similar fate at the 11th hour.
There is no space in Southgate’s Qatar selection for Roma striker Tammy Abraham, Brentford frontman Ivan Toney or West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen.
With Chilwell ruled out Shaw is the only out-and-out left-back with Crystal Palace youngster Tyrick Mitchell overlooked. Marc Guehi, Fikayo Tomori and Tyrone Mings are also among those missing out.
Chelsea’s Gallagher made the cut but Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse again just missed out on a major tournament squad.
