{"id":299610,"date":"2023-11-17T00:24:32","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T00:24:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=299610"},"modified":"2023-11-17T00:24:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T00:24:32","slug":"england-boss-southgate-insists-gordon-is-very-close-to-a-call-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/soccer\/england-boss-southgate-insists-gordon-is-very-close-to-a-call-up\/","title":{"rendered":"England boss Southgate insists Gordon is 'very close' to a call-up"},"content":{"rendered":"
Gareth Southgate has revealed that Anthony Gordon is \u2018very close\u2019 to an England call-up despite ongoing interest from Scotland.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old forward is one of four Newcastle United players eligible for both countries, with Harvey Barnes, Elliot Anderson and Tino Livramento also being closely monitored by Steve Clarke ahead of next year\u2019s Euro finals in Germany.<\/p>\n
Gordon, who has shone for Eddie Howe\u2019s Magpies this season, currently remains on the outside looking in for England, while the likes of Rico Lewis, Cole Palmer and Ezri Konza are all hoping to make their debuts against Malta at Wembley on Friday night.<\/p>\n
But manager Southgate hinted that the player\u2019s patience will be rewarded if he is prepared to wait a little longer.<\/p>\n
\u2018He\u2019s a good player,\u2019 said the England boss. \u2018He was very good with our Under-21s last year. He\u2019s very close (to a call-up), I have to say. I like his attitude. I like the way he works so hard for the team.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Gareth Southgate has revealed that Anthony Gordon is \u2018very close\u2019 to an England call-up<\/p>\n
Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n
\u2018Of course, I\u2019m sure he was hoping to get a call at this moment, but there are good players playing well in that position on the field.<\/p>\n
\u2018But, I think, like a couple of others, they\u2019ve always got to think a little further ahead as to, you know, opportunities that can come up.<\/p>\n
\u2018I think, for somebody like Anthony, that\u2019s eminently possible with us.\u2019<\/p>\n
As for his more familiar faces, Southgate is ready to revive his Trent Alexander-Arnold midfield experiment against Malta.<\/p>\n
The Liverpool full back has excelled playing in a defender-midfielder hybrid role \u2014 and the manager is keen to have a closer look at the 25-year-old in a more advanced role at Wembley.<\/p>\n
The Anfield academy graduate played as a conventional central midfielder in the first game against Malta earlier this year.<\/p>\n
It remains to be seen whether he is deployed as an out-and-out midfielder on Friday night but, given that England are likely to dominate, Southgate will give him licence to spend the majority of the game in the engine room.<\/p>\n
Midfielder Conor Gallagher is also hopeful of starting in midfield after some impressive performances for Chelsea, while Jordan Henderson could also play.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Newcastle forward helped England Under-21s win the European Championship last year<\/p>\n
Kalvin Phillips is unavailable after missing three training sessions due to a personal matter.<\/p>\n
On the prospect of playing centrally, Alexander-Arnold said: \u2018In my teenage years I was a midfielder so it\u2019s a position I have some knowledge of.<\/p>\n
\u2018How to conduct myself and perform in the middle of the pitch is something that I\u2019ve been tasked with – and (I\u2019ve been) sitting down and watching and trying to learn and adapt.<\/p>\n
\u2018As for whether I\u2019m a midfielder or not \u2014 my specific skillset is probably best suited to someone who plays in the middle of the pitch, someone who controls the game, controls the tempo, creates, breaks line, progresses the ball up the pitch, so those kinds of skills you would say are suited to someone who plays in the middle of the pitch.<\/p>\n
\u2018You probably get more out of me from being in the middle and I\u2019m able to show off that skillset as much as possible.\u2019<\/p>\n
England secured progress for the Euro finals with two games to spare and it appears they can seal their place among the top seeds by winning this evening.<\/p>\n
However, Southgate is never far away from criticism, and he insisted that he is on a hiding to nothing against Malta.<\/p>\n
\u2018Well, the reality of that is however well we play tomorrow, people will just say it\u2019s a lower-ranked opponent, so it will be irrelevant.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Southgate is ready to revive his Trent Alexander-Arnold midfield experiment against Malta<\/p>\n
\u2018People are going to have opinions. I\u2019m probably tired of trying to fight that. In the end, it will be what it is. So I will just let our results and our performances speak for themselves.\u2019<\/p>\n
The manager revealed that he had shown his squad footage of England legend Sir Bobby Charlton, who died last month aged 86.<\/p>\n
\u2018A big part of what we\u2019ve wanted to do with our players is to talk about our identity as a team,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
\u2018Part of that is knowing the history of our team and having an understanding of how special some of the players that have been England internationals before are. We\u2019ve had the chance to do that this week.\u2019<\/p>\n
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n