Darren Bent questioned why Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones wasn’t handed more minutes by England U21’s manager, Aidy Boothroyd, as he told Sky Sports during their live coverage of the European Championships.
The former Premier League striker stated that both Liverpool’s academy product and Crystal Palace flyer, Eberechi Eze, should have played more minutes as the England youngsters were dumped out of the group stages.
Even though England U21’s beat Croatia 2-1 yesterday, with both goals coming from Jones and Eze in their first starts, it wasn’t enough for Boothroyd’s young guns to progress.
Bent shared how both carried a ‘goal threat’ for their side, and in the only start they were handed by their manager, they were the two best players on the pitch.
“There were some great performances in this game. You wonder why Curtis Jones wasn’t given more minutes in the first game.
“Eze was brilliant when getting him on the ball. They had real shots on goal. Looked really inventive. Full of energy going forward. But, unfortunately, they hit them with a sucker punch right at the end.
“Eze, him and Curtis Jones you would say, probably England’s best players. It was a crisp and clean finish (from Jones) and I like that.
“He carried a real goal threat and that’s what we know about him when he plays for Liverpool. I thought everything England did well going forward was either him or Eze. They linked up really well.
“When Aidy Boothroyd looks back at his team selection, and that caused them problems a few years back in not playing certain player like Foden didn’t play. When he looks back on the performance of Eze and Jones, he will be thinking ‘why didn’t I start them?'”
For England’s first two group matches – which they lost – they looked confused, devoid of deas in the final third, with no speed to their game or intention to put the opposition on the back foot.
But that changed once Jones and Eze started together, so it begs the question as to why they weren’t handed more minutes and starts?
It’s not like they are struggling at club level this season because both have earned healthy minutes and have been one of their club’s better players.
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