Southgate axed Aaron Ramsdale (Sheff Utd), Ben Godfrey (Everton), Jesse Lingard (West Ham on loan from Man Utd), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Ben White (Brighton), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) and Mason Greenwood (Man Utd – injured). And asked how the rejected stars reacted, Southgate said: "James was brilliant. We can only change now on the basis of injuries so those guys will be training with us. Their commitment to stay with the group and their respect to their teammates to want to be here shows what playing for England means to this group of players. "And I think it's important the public know that as sometimes people dismiss the importance of England caps and what it means to players."

Source: Metro May 27, 2021 06:57 UTC