Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has accused England boss Gareth Southgate of overlooking James Maddison for ‘personal’ reasons.
England failed to win any of their four UEFA Nations League group matches during the most recent international break, losing to Hungary twice as well as drawing with both Germany and Italy. The manager can use the excuse that he was testing out his squad, opting to continually ring the changes as he looked to try out the cohesion between his players, but players such as James Maddison and Emile Smith Rowe were overlooked from the latest squad.
‘The one thing these games will have done for Southgate is that he’ll know his starting XI now for the first game of the World Cup, he will,’ Wilshere claimed live ontalkSPORT.
When asked if he thought that Maddison should have been included in the squad, Wilshere said: ‘It’s very harsh, especially on Maddison… More goals and more assists than Grealish, Foden, Ward-Prowse.
‘It’s got to be personal. Chances created as well, he’s sixth in the whole Premier League. Sixth!
‘We’re looking for a creative midfielder – I’m not saying none of them can create because I love Grealish and I love Foden. But you’ve got to put Maddison in that conversation at least!’
We were linked with a move to sign Maddison last summer, and while we certainly look to have made a good decision to sign Odegaard instead, I would love for us to return for the Leicester man this summer.
It does seem odd that he can’t get a look in for England however, although we are definitely stacked in those attacking areas, but there is still time for him to get that callup in time for the World Cup.
Patrick
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