James Maddison Leicester City
West Brom striker Charlie Austin has named the three midfield players who should be named in England’s starting lineup during the Euro 2020 finals this summer. Jack Grealish’s form for Villa so far this season has led to him breaking into the England setup, and for calls for him to be selected in the starting 11 by Gareth Southgate. The Villa captain does however face a lot of competition in his position, with Leicester’s James Maddison, Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Chelsea’s Mason Mount all vying for a place both in the squad and in the starting lineup for the summer’s tournament.
Charlie Austin said: “That’s a tough question… I saw James Maddison play against Fulham last week and he was the best person on the pitch by a country mile. For 45 minutes he ran them ragged with two assists – I thought he was first class. I think I’m trying to get three of the four in: Maddison, Grealish and Foden. I’m leaving Mount out. You realise how important Maddison is for Leicester, how important Grealish is for Aston Villa. It’s a tough call, and I think there’s going to be a situation – not with the No.10s – I think you’ve almost got to sacrifice a position of a No.9.”
Grealish has caught the eye for both club and country so far this season. The 25-year-old has scored six goals and provided a further 12 assists in his 21 Premier League appearances in 2020/21, and has been a key part of Dean Smith’s team who have had a much improved season.
