Gareth Southgate names Tammy Abraham, Joe Gomez and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in England squad. Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish was almost in that position once.
Gareth Southgate looks on after the FIFA 2018 World Cup Group F Qualifier between Lithuania and England.
Gareth Southgate has named three players he managed when he was Under-21s boss in his senior England squad to face Germany and Brazil in upcoming international friendlies.
Chelsea youngsters Tammy Abraham and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, on loan at Swansea City and Crystal Palace respectively, and Liverpool’s Joe Gomez have been included by Southgate.
Tammy Abraham of Swansea City celebrates scoring his side’s first goal during the Premier League match against Huddersfield Town.
Another member of that group is nowhere near a call-up, yet it was only two years ago when Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish was ahead of Abraham, Gomez and Loftus-Cheek.
A little over two years on and the 22-year-old still has no senior caps and is struggling to assert himself at Villa Park. Admittedly Grealish is currently sidelined with a kidney injury sustained in pre-season, but before that the Englishman had issues on and off the pitch.
Jack Grealish of Aston Villa looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match against Fulham.
The midfield ace admitted in an interview with talkSPORT in December 2016 that he had “struggled with the limelight” after progressing from the Villans’ academy. In 2014, Grealish was reprimanded by the club for being pictured inhaling nitrous oxide, was dropped by Remi Garde in 2015 after clubbing following a defeat to Everton and last year was alleged to be at a party closed down by police.
The Villa star is still young and can work his way back into Southgate’s consideration, but at the moment he is some way behind his former Under-21 counterparts.
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