Jack Grealish was a surprising omission from England’s Euro 2024 squad as Gareth Southgate excluded the Manchester City winger on Thursday following a disappointing end to the season.
Grealish, 28, faced the consequences of a significant dip in form during the latter part of the Premier League campaign, becoming the most prominent player dropped from Southgate’s provisional 33-man squad. Other notable exclusions include Manchester United defender Harry Maguire and Tottenham playmaker James Maddison.
Despite being an unused substitute during City’s FA Cup final defeat against Manchester United in May and being left out of the Premier League champions’ title-winning game against West Ham, Grealish featured for England as a substitute in a friendly win against Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, this wasn’t enough to secure his spot for Germany.
Maguire, 31, was unable to prove his fitness due to a calf injury, and Maddison’s poor end to the domestic season also cost him a place in the squad. Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, and Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah were also left out of Southgate’s final 26-man squad.
The Football Association revealed the squad ahead of schedule after players who missed out made their omissions public. Maguire, a key player in Southgate’s defense throughout his tenure, expressed his devastation on Instagram, noting his failure to recover from a calf injury.
Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, Brighton’s Lewis Dunk, Liverpool’s Joe Gomez, and Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa will compete to play alongside Manchester City’s John Stones in England’s defense.
Maddison, facing stiff competition from Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Bukayo Saka, acknowledged his form for Spurs had not been up to par. He expressed his disappointment on social media, recognizing his recent struggles.
Meanwhile, United left-back Luke Shaw is included despite not playing since February. Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, 20, is included after a strong spell since his move from Blackburn in January. United’s Kobbie Mainoo, 19, is the youngest member of the squad.
England, aiming for their first major trophy in 58 years, will have a final warm-up game against Iceland at Wembley on Friday. They start their Euro campaign against Serbia on June 16, followed by matches against Denmark and Slovenia in Group C.
England’s 26-man Euro 2024 squad:
**Goalkeepers: **
– Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)
– Jordan Pickford (Everton)
– Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
**Defenders: **
– Lewis Dunk (Brighton)
– Joe Gomez (Liverpool)
– Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)
– Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)
– Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
– John Stones (Manchester City)
– Kieran Trippier (Newcastle)
– Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
**Midfielders: **
– Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
– Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
– Conor Gallagher (Chelsea)
– Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
– Declan Rice (Arsenal)
– Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
**Forwards: **
– Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)
– Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)
– Phil Foden (Manchester City)
– Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
– Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
– Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
– Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
– Ivan Toney (Brentford)
– Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
