Rio Ferdinand says he is not surprised Jarrad Branthwaite was left out of England’s final Euro 2024 squad given the defender is yet to prove he is suited to the way Gareth Southgate wants to play.
Branthwaite enjoyed an eye-catching breakout season at the heart of Sean Dyche’s Everton defence and was rewarded with his first call-up to the England senior team in March.
The 21-year-old went on to make his debut in England’s 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina last week but was subsequently omitted as Southgate cut his preliminary 33-man squad down to 26 players for this summer’s European Championships.
Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker did all make the plane – which touched down in Germany this evening – and will be battling it out to feature in Sunday’s opener against Serbia.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was less than impressed by Southgate’s decision to leave out Branthwaite, labelling the axed centre-back ‘England’s present and future’.
However, Ferdinand believes Southgate has probably made the right call on Branthwaite, despite the youngster’s impressive form attracting the interest of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal this summer.
‘I don’t see it as a surprise,’ the legendary ex-United and England centre-half said on the FIVE YouTube channel.
‘The way that Branthwaite has played this season, and he’s done really well at Everton, he has done really well… the clean sheets that they’ve had etcetera.
‘Just the fact they’ve stayed up and he’s been a main part of that is great, but he’s defending a lot of the time on the edge of his box. They’re [Everton] a low-block team.
‘England don’t want to play like that. England want to have the ball and pass and start attacks. He hasn’t shown that he can do that yet at the top level.’
Ferdinand has been impressed with Guehi’s contribution at the back and revealed what Patrick Vieira had told him about the young defender when the Frenchman was in charge of Crystal Palace.
He added: ‘Guehi, when he’s played for England, has played well. I spoke to Patrick Vieira ages ago about him when he was a manager and he said, “This kid, whatever level he goes to he’ll get to that level”.
‘He’s not one of those that goes beyond it or under it. He just gets to where he needs get to in that level. He’s done it when he’s played for England and he’s done it for Palace. He’s done well.
‘He had a couple of injuries in the season but he’s come back into the team and played.’
Facing the media after unveiling his final England squad for the Euros, Southgate said Branthwaite had been ‘fabulous’ for Everton but argued it was a little too ‘early’ to take the youngster to a major tournament.
‘I think it is a bit early for Jarrad. He has had a fabulous season and it was good to get him on the other night,’ the England head coach told reporters.
‘Of course, in an ideal world, you would like lots of left-footers. But, to put him ahead of the others, I don’t think that would have been the right call at this stage.
‘That is why we have taken what I think is a risk at left-back with Luke [Shaw], but I think that is a risk worth taking.’
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