A former Liverpool player supports Southgate’s decision to omit Raheem Sterling from recent England squads.
John Barnes, a former Liverpool player, concurred with Gareth Southgate’s decision not to include Raheem Sterling in recent England teams.
Sterling has not appeared in an England match since the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Since then, Southgate has not selected him for the squad. However, the 28-year-old has been performing exceptionally well for Chelsea in the 2023-24 season, having scored five goals and assisted two others during this period.
Sterling’s most recent goal for Chelsea occurred in their 4-4 draw against Manchester City on Sunday. He contributed by putting the Blues ahead in the first half following Thiago Silva’s powerful header that canceled out Erling Haaland’s penalty kick.
Despite Sterling’s consistent performances, Southgate chose not to include the former Manchester City player in the England team for their upcoming games against Malta and North Macedonia. Some critics have questioned Southgate’s decision, but Barnes defended the England manager to bonuscodebets.co.uk, suggesting that Sterling’s exclusion wasn’t a major concern.
Barnes remarked, “Raheem has performed well for Chelsea in recent matches, but Chelsea’s overall performance hasn’t been strong.”
“People might observe his recent matches and believe he should be called up, but Gareth Southgate has a pool of highly skilled players to select from, making it a challenging decision.”
“Raheem will always have a place in my England squad, but his absence isn’t a significant issue. He has been performing impressively lately, but the squad selection was made before the City game, so he will likely return to the squad at some point.”
Barnes further stated, “Fans will always express their opinions on squad selections. I trust Gareth’s judgment and his choices. His team will play according to his preferences.”
“He might perceive Raheem’s abilities differently from those of Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford. Jack hasn’t been playing consistently, similar to Harry Maguire at Manchester United.”
“Jack might make the squad but might not start for England, serving as an option from the bench, whereas Raheem can’t be on the bench if he’s in the squad. Nevertheless, he would be a valuable addition to the team.”
