England coach, Gareth Southgate has reportedly maintained that Sterling still have a space in the team after omitting him from the Three Lions’ squad ahead of their match against Malta and North Macedonia respectively.
According to 90min, Sterling last appeared for England, it was during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He entered the game late in the team’s 2-1 quarterfinal loss to France.
After joining Chelsea from Manchester City for a reported £50 million, the Left winger flopped to find any kind of consistency; however, the 2023–24 season has started better for both the player and the team.
The Three Lions manager acknowledged to the reporters that it was hard to pick anyone else out of the squad instead of choosing Sterling, but Southgate has once again ignored Sterling as a result of the fierce rivalry for spots in England’s front line.
“The door is 100% open not only for Raheem but for other players. There’s no doubt about that,” Southgate added. “We don’t need to know about his quality, his personality. He is a crucial part of why we’ve had the journey we’ve had over the last few years.
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“I can only repeat what I’ve said in the last few squad selection meetings. The team are playing really well.
“We had an exceptional win against Italy last time around. Who do we leave out to put him in? It is as simple as that really.
In defense of Sterling’s continued exclusion, Southgate cited England’s impressive showings in March and June, when he was not available for selection. He also mentioned other players who have emerged to offer a different dynamic.
“He wasn’t available in March or June and 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, so we stuck with that group,” Southgate remarked.
“You look and Jarrod Bowen has got seven goals this season already, Anthony Gordon is playing very well at Newcastle, Cole Palmer is starting to play well. It is just a change in landscape there.”
Following their victory over Italy, England has already secured their place at Euro 2024 and set to face Malta on Friday, November 17.
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