Gabby Agbonlahor has given Gareth Southgate a further incentive to guide England to glory at Euro 2024.
The Three Lions manager has so far overseen a run of agonising campaigns at three major tournaments which have seen the national team do well – just not quite well enough.
With Euro 2024 just around the corner, Southgate will have another opportunity to finally end England’s 58-year trophy drought.
But as Southgate mulls over his crucial selection decisions for England’s opener against Serbia on Sunday – live on talkSPORT – he has been warned that his decisions may already have put the campaign in peril.
Having initially called up a 33-man squad for England’s final two pre-tournament friendlies against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland, Southgate was forced to cut seven players in order to finalise the squad who would be on the plane to Germany.
And the ex-Middlesbrough boss made the surprising decision to leave Manchester City’s Jack Grealish out of his final 26-man squad, despite the forward having been a firm fixture in the England camp at both the 2022 World Cup and Euros 2020.
It is a call that talkSPORT presenter – and Grealish’s former Aston Villa teammate – Agbonlahor is not happy about.
Speaking to Alan Brazil on talkSPORT Breakfast, Agbonlahor warned the England boss he would be to blame if the Three Lions stutter in Germany due to his omission of the 28-year-old.
“Jack Grealish – I think that’s ridiculous,” he said. “Southgate will get the wrath of me if we don’t win this. Jack is that player who brings something different.
“Is he going to start? No. But if there’s 20 minutes and you need a goal? He’s someone to come in little pockets.
“If you’ve got 20 minutes to hold on, who’s the best at winning fouls and stopping the play? Getting the ball and running the length of the pitch?
“I think it’s very odd. Is there another reason for Jack not going? Maybe one day Jack brings out a biography and we find out.
“This is a 26-man squad and he’s starred at two major tournaments. People were screaming for him to come off the bench at the last Euros. He was great at the World Cup as well.
“Yes, he’s not played as much as he would’ve liked, but he still has to be in the squad.”
Grealish has contributed significantly to both of England’s last two major tournament campaigns.
He scored in the group stages of their 2022 World Cup group games as well as contributing in the build up to both goals in their Round of 16 triumph over Germany at Euro 2020.
But the City winger has struggled for minutes with his club this season, with injuries hampering his season further.
He scored just three goals in 36 appearances for Man City during the 2023/24 season in all competitions, where he was mainly used off the bench.
And crucially, he did not hit the levels of success that the preferred forwards Phil Foden and Anthony Gordon achieved.
But as the Three Lions get their Euro 2024 campaign underway, Southgate will no doubt be tasked with making many more taxing decisions.
For England’s sake, he must hope that the most fatal decision was not the one he made before the tournament had even begun.
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