Gareth Southgate has ripped up a few assumptions with his latest England squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures – and he has done it without Phil Foden.
While the Manchester City playmaker is the most eye-catching omission, the headline is a bold injection of youth and form players. Trent Alexander-Arnold returns as a listed defender, Alex Scott gets the promotion his performances have been screaming for, Cole Palmer is rewarded again, and 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha steps into the senior set-up for the first time.
This is not a gentle refresh. It is a jolt.
Youth and form over reputation
The squad reads like a statement about where Southgate believes England are heading. At the back, there is a blend of established names and those pushing hard from below: Jordan Pickford is joined in goal by James Trafford and Jason Steele, a nod to succession planning as much as current form.
In defence, Alexander-Arnold is joined by Jarrod Branthwaite, Trevor Chalobah, Marc Guéhi, Lewis Hall, Ezri Konsa, Tino Livramento, Nico O’Reilly and Jarrell Quansah. It is a group heavy on ball-playing ability and versatility, light on the old guard. Branthwaite’s inclusion, in particular, has been widely expected after his rise and recent performances, and comes with the endorsement of club managers who see him as an international defender in waiting.
The midfield is where the direction of travel becomes even clearer. Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice remain the pillars, but around them Southgate has gone young, technical and brave. Elliot Anderson, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kobbie Mainoo, Palmer and Scott join that core. This is a group built to keep the ball, not chase it.
Up front, there is a familiar anchor in Harry Kane, flanked by a set of attackers who can play across the line and between the lines: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Ngumoha, Marcus Rashford, Morgan Rogers and Bukayo Saka. There is pace, one‑v‑one threat and goals – but also, in Ngumoha and Rogers, the sense that Southgate is willing to fast-track talent if he believes the temperament matches the ability.
The Foden question – and others
Foden’s absence will dominate the early reaction. A player of his class rarely sits out an England squad when fit, and the decision will be read in some quarters as tactical, in others as a simple case of rotation in a bloated calendar. Either way, when a footballer of that calibre is “no place” in a squad, it underlines how fierce the competition has become.
It also sharpens the focus on those still watching from home. Adam Wharton’s ongoing omission continues to mystify many who see him as exactly the kind of metronomic midfielder this England side sometimes lacks. Morgan Gibbs-White falls into a similar category: close, often discussed, but not yet across the line.
Southgate has rarely been swayed by noise, and this squad again suggests he trusts his own long-term map. The Nations League might not stir the blood like a World Cup or European Championship, but for this manager it has always been a testing ground – a place to trial combinations, accelerate prospects and, occasionally, make a ruthless call on reputation.
A squad with edges
Strip the names back and the profile of this group is striking. Technicians in midfield. Ball-playing defenders. Wide forwards who can come inside and operate in tight spaces. A sprinkling of experience, but a heavy lean towards players whose best years are ahead of them.
Alexander-Arnold’s inclusion among the defenders hints again at the hybrid role Southgate has flirted with: starting from the back line, stepping into midfield in possession. With Bellingham and Rice as the heartbeat, and creators such as Palmer, Eze and Scott around them, England suddenly have the tools to control games in a way previous generations could only envy.
Ngumoha’s selection will draw particular intrigue. The youngster has been earmarked at club level as a special talent; now he finds himself in a dressing room with Kane, Saka and Bellingham. Whether he plays significant minutes or not, the experience alone marks a clear signal: if you are good enough, Southgate will find room.
The Nations League rarely feels like a defining stage. Yet with a squad like this – bold, imperfect, loaded with potential and controversy – it may end up telling us more about the next phase of England’s evolution than any friendly ever could.
