Jack Grealish was surprisingly left out of the England squad for Euro 2024, and ex-Manchester United defender Wes Brown reveals his reason for Gareth Southgate’s shock omission of the Man City star
Jack Grealish‘s absence from the Euros squad is all about his limited playing time, according to ex-England star Wes Brown.
The former defender believes that England boss Gareth Southgate hasn’t been able to see enough of Grealish in action this season, leading to his shock exclusion from the Euro 2024 team.
Instead, players with less international experience like Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze have been given the chance to shine, reports Birmingham Live.
Brown shared his
insights on Reach’s new Euro Thrash podcast, available on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify, saying: “He will be disappointed, but I do think it’s down to his club. He hasn’t started as many games as he would have liked to.”
Brown also suggested that Southgate might be opting for speed, adding: “I just feel the manager’s gone with pace. I think if you look at Anthony Gordon in that Iceland game, you know he brings this attacking pace. Straight out fast breaks, he’s in. Grealish plays a little bit differently. We know he likes to get on the ball early and then do his thing.”
The former Manchester United defender also touched on the motivation such a snub can provide, stating: “You always want to prove to the manager and to everyone that the selection is wrong.
“And you do start the next season quicker and think ‘I’m going to show you what I’m about, I should have been selected or I’m going to be selected next time because I’m going to put everything into it’.”
Jordan Henderson has been axed from the England squad after a challenging season, with Wes Brown suggesting it’s the right call given the rise of talents like Jude Bellingham and Kobbie Mainoo.
Brown continued: “You’ve got to think, if he’s not going to start, is he going to be an impact player? And no disrespect to him, but he’s probably not. I’m not saying he couldn’t come on in and do a job because he certainly can, but you want someone, maybe a younger player, that can add some spark if needed.”
Reflecting on Henderson’s time with the national team, Brown added: “He’s had a great career playing for England. He’s had some good games and got the team to certain positions in tournaments, but at some point you know that time will come where the younger players are going to be knocking on your door and overtaking you.”
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