10 Notable Absentees From England’s World Cup Squad
These players have got to be feeling disappointed at missing out.
On Wednesday, Gareth Southgate announced his England squad to mixed reactions. Some fans said that it was more or less the best squad we could hope for, while others argued that Player X should have been included at the expense of Player Y.
World Cup squad announcements are always a source of controversy, and fans will never be in total agreement on this issue, but the general consensus seems to be that Southgate has played it pretty safe with his selections, not taking any major risks or springing any unexpected surprises.
A few former stars have been left out, while cases could have been made for several other players who didn't get on the final list, so let's take a look at ten English players who would have been hoping for a call-up and might be feeling a little hard done by.
In a few weeks, we'll see how England get on when the big event finally kicks off, and if it all ends terribly, Three Lions fans will look back to the squad announcement and perhaps suggest that one or two of these players could have made a big difference, had they been included.
10. Jonjo Shelvey
If you browsed social media in the wake of the England squad announcement, one name kept popping up time and time again: Jonjo Shelvey. Many Three Lions fans and football pundits argued that the Newcastle midfielder would have provided the creativity that seems to be sorely lacking in England's midfield.
Southgate himself has come out and said that Shelvey didn't have the right style of play to fit in with the system he wants to use in Russia, while questions have also been raised about Shelvey's temperament, with the 26-year-old well-known for picking up unnecessary yellow and red cards from time to time.
In Shelvey's defence, he's already played for England on six occasions and has proven himself to be one of the most forward-thinking midfielders available for selection. He's had a great season, creating a lot of chances for his teammates and consistently impressing fans with precise through balls and impressive long distance shots. If England find themselves struggling to score goals in Russia, they might rue not gambling on Shelvey's creativity.