Gary Neville says it’s the ‘right way to go’ to start Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling over Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka for England’s round of 16 World Cup clash against Senegal on Sunday.
The former Manchester United defender added that Chelsea’s summer signing has ‘never let England’ down, and whilst he ‘loves’ Saka, he wants the in-form Arsenal player coming off the bench.
Gareth Southgate has a big call to make, no more so than who starts alongside captain, Harry Kane.
For the first game, Saka netted a brace, whilst Sterling also got on the scoresheet, as England thrashed Iran 6-2, but the duo then drew blanks against the USA.
Against Wales, it was Marcus Rashford’s chance to shine, and after coming off the bench and scoring against Iran, he added two more to his name during that 3-0 demolition job in the battle of Britain out in the Middle East.
Whilst Rashford and Kane are starters for Neville, he shared why he is leaving Arsenal’s Hale-End star on the bench for that final spot, as he told beIN SPORTS (03/12/22 at 9:50 pm).
“I’d probably play Sterling, Rashford and Kane, with Saka coming off the bench,” said Neville. “I love Saka.
On why would he play Sterling before Saka: “Gareth (Southgate) loves him and he has delivered for England. Sterling has delivered for England on a continuous basis and never lets England down, in fact, he has been brilliant for England.
“He plays better for England than he does for his club, at this moment in time. I think it’s a game whereby they are going to need experience. It’s a World Cup knockout game, and Saka coming off the bench. I think it’s the right way to go.”
WHOEVER STARTS SHOULD COOK…
Whether it’s Sterling, Rashford, both, or Phil Foden and Saka, all of these players are good enough and more than capable of guiding England to the quarter-finals.
This Senegal team shouldn’t be taken lightly because whilst they can be got at from a defensive aspect, they have the energy, forward drive, counter-attacking ability, pace and technical talent in the forward areas to get that all-important winner.
But with the depth of attacking talent Southgate has to pick from, then defeat here would be seen as an abject failure and nothing else.
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