BREAKING NEWS: “I won’t pick his calls again after what he did”- Chelsea Star Raheem has revealed how Gareth Southgate and other England internationals teased and irritated him until he left the England World Cup camp in tears in 2022 and Why Gareth Southgate dropped him ever Since.
England boss Gareth Southgate has denied claims that a breakdown in his relationship with Chelsea star Raheem Sterling is the reason behind the forward’s exclusion from the Three Lions squad.
Sterling, 28, was left out of Southgate’s squad for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia on Thursday. Jarrod Bowen, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka were all named in England’s squad, leaving no place for Sterling.
The Blues forward has scored four goals and assisted another two so far this season for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. Despite impressing in Monday night’s 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, Sterling’s place in England’s Euro 2024 squad has been placed into further doubt following his omission.
Southgate has now opted to overlook Sterling for a fifth consecutive time, having featured prominently throughout England’s recent season. Speaking after the announcement on Thursday, the Three Lions boss has refuted claims of an ongoing feud between himself and Sterling.
“The door is 100 per cent open not only for Raheem but also other players who aren’t in this squad,” he explained. “We don’t need to know about his quality, his personality. He is a crucial part of the journey we’ve been on.
“It’s an area of the pitch where we have as much competition as anywhere. Bowen has started the season well. Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer are doing well. It’s a changing landscape there.
“We used to not have wingers, that’s why we used wing-backs in Russia. We have a lot of depth in those areas now, that’s what people need to understand.”
England have one more round of international fixtures before next summer’s summer tournament in Germany. Should Sterling not be called-up for March’s double-header against Brazil and Belgium, he isn’t expected to receive a call-up.
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