‘Outstanding’ Aston Villa player might be kicking himself right now – Our View

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The England squad was announced last week, but just a few days later, that squad is looking drastically different.

Indeed, four players have had to pull-out, and replacements have been brought in.

Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins was the beneficiary after an injury to Tammy Abraham forced the Roma striker to pull-out, but there’s one Aston Villa player who isn’t in the squad who perhaps could have been.

We’re talking about Matty Cash.

Cash swapped his national allegiance from England to Poland last year in order to fulfil his ambition of playing football at the highest possible level, but after seeing the latest England squad, you have to wonder if this switch was a little premature.

To be honest, we can understand Cash’s decision. England’s depth at right-back is ridiculous, and it would have taken something quite remarkable for him to have gotten a call-up ahead of the likes of Reece James, Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier.

Unfortunately for Cash, that remarkable outcome has happened.

James, Trippier and Alexander-Arnold are all out with injury, and a right-back spot has opened up in the England squad – a spot that has been taken by Kyle Walker-Peters.

Now, with all due respect to Walker-Peters, there’s a strong argument to make that Cash has been outperforming him for the past two years. After all, he was recently described as ‘outstanding’.

Indeed, Cash has more goals and more assists than his Southampton counterpart this term, while he’s also outdoing him in terms of tackles per game, interceptions per game and crosses per game.

If it weren’t for being ineligible, Cash may have gotten that elusive England call-up this time around, and who knows? Perhaps he could have impressed Gareth Southgate with his talent and attitude.

Southgate is a very loyal man, and if he takes a shine to you, you will be given opportunities – just look at Conor Coady and Tyrone Mings who have established themselves as leaders in that England group despite the fact they’re not the greatest centre-backs in the country.

Cash may be kicking himself if he’s forced to watch Walker-Peters play for the Three Lions, especially if the Southampton defender manages to make an impression on Southgate.