Gareth Southgate has rubbished suggestions he has an “agenda” against Trent Alexander-Arnold after naming the Liverpool defender in England’s Euro 2020 squad. Alexander-Arnold was included in the 26-man party for the finals on Tuesday despite strong reports 24 hours earlier he would be omitted.
Gareth Southgate said: “I spoke with Trent about three weeks ago. The stories over the last couple of weeks that have ended up with lots of strange headlines and lots of strange stories, I’ve no idea where they have come from. I felt there were stories that were so far off the truth. I would never normally speak to a player because I read a lot of stories about myself that aren’t true, but I have to accept that’s the job I’m in and people speculate and write it’s exclusive. But when it’s a player, they might feel reading it that maybe it’s true and the manager is speaking to the press behind their back. That’s obviously not the case. Even last night we are dealing with that and puzzled, because he is there taking set-pieces for the game tomorrow then he’s reading that he’s not going to the European Championships. I really don’t understand it. For me, it’s no drama, I accept as England manager this is what I deal with. That’s the world I live in. But for my players, I want to protect them. We are having to speak to Trent last night to say ‘look, we don’t know where this is all coming from, it’s nonsense’. People then jump on it and say I have an agenda and I don’t like the kid. It’s an incredible situation really but, as I say, not bothered about it from my point of view, but I always think about the players.”
Alexander-Arnold, who will play some part in England’s warm-up friendly against Austria on Wednesday, has been joined in the England squad by fellow right-backs Kieran Tripper of Atletico Madrid, Manchester City’s Kyle Walker and Chelsea youngster Reece James. And explaining the decision,
Gareth Southgate said: “Kieran has been playing at wing-back as well as at right-back. Reece James has played right of a three or right wing-back. Trent plays at right-back, and Kyle Walker has played at centre-half for us in a three and has also played at left-back for us. Reece James was in midfield (for Chelsea) against Aston Villa. Basically, they are in our 26 best footballers, that’s why they are in the squad. And if I could have picked a fifth or a sixth right-back, I probably would have done! We are here to play nine games. We already have some injury doubts in the group and I’m sure we are going to face other difficulties in the next five weeks. So we need adaptability, good players, good professionals and tactically savvy players.”
