England squad: Ivan Toney late 'bolter', Harry Maguire lucky to keep place
- Published
Brentford striker Ivan Toney has five goals and two assists in seven games this season
Gareth Southgate's final England squad before he names the players travelling to the World Cup is mixture of trademark loyalty and the chance for Brentford's Ivan Toney to become a late 'bolter' for Qatar.
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire, in particular, will be grateful for Southgate's faith after being marginalised at Old Trafford under new manager Erik ten Hag, while Toney's five goals and outstanding performances earn him a fully deserved call-up as the only uncapped player in England's 28-man squad.
These are two vital Nations League games coming up, against Italy in the San Siro in Milan and Germany at Wembley, not simply to avoid embarrassing relegation from their group but to crystallise Southgate's final World Cup thoughts.
Southgate will want to end a run of four England games without a win, including defeats home and away by Hungary, the latter a humiliating 4-0 thrashing at Molineux.
England's undercard keepers can stake claim
The claim may only to be Jordan Pickford's understudy, as Everton's keeper has been in outstanding form. He is Southgate's undisputed first choice after keeping 20 clean sheets in 45 appearances and never making an error leading to a goal, according to Opta stats.
It is still a vital role, however, so the chosen trio of Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale, Newcastle United summer signing Nick Pope and Dean Henderson, on loan at Nottingham Forest from Manchester United, will be desperate to put themselves in the frame right behind Pickford.
They will know a good performance could push them up the pecking order for Qatar.
Maguire lucky to keep England place
Maguire was part of the Manchester United defence thrashed 4-0 by Toney's Brentford last month
Maguire is now living on his past England performances and reputation, because nothing this season suggests he merits a place in this squad. He can count himself very fortunate.
What he has going for him is credit in the bank with Southgate and crucial major tournament experience, but there must be a high risk in picking someone who was dropped after a dreadful start to the season at club level and does not seem to have any instant chance of regaining his place at Manchester United, barring injury.
The same applies to Luke Shaw who, like Maguire, was outstanding at Euro 2020 but who is on the outside at Old Trafford after struggling for regular game time because of injury.
Tottenham's Eric Dier receives a recall he may have thought had passed him by as he returns to England's squad for the first time since March 2021, and having not played at international level since the Nations League win over Iceland in November 2020.
Dier is rewarded for fine form under Antonio Conte, while Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold keeps his place despite poor club form and fierce competition from Reece James, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier.
Arsenal central defender Ben White might have fancied his chances of a call-up after their fine start to the season, but is not included.
Has Bellingham's time come?
Jude Bellingham scored against Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday
How long can Gareth Southgate wait before making Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham an automatic starter for England? The answer should be: no longer.
Bellingham, only 19, was magnificent in Dortmund's 2-1 Champions League loss at Manchester City - his excellence underscored by the fact that one of those whose place he is threatening, Kalvin Phillips, had only played 13 minutes this season before coming on as an injury-time substitute.
Southgate has favoured an arguably more conservative central midfield partnership of Phillips and West Ham United's Declan Rice when given the option, but Bellingham now looks the complete player who could enhance all aspects of England's team.
Bellingham's selection from the start would represent something of a switch in strategy from Southgate, but the former Birmingham City youngster's quality demands it.
Toney gets his chance
The real standout selection in England's squad to face Italy and Germany is Brentford striker Toney, but his inclusion is fully merited based on performances and who is currently available.
The 26-year-old's career has been a slow burner after he did not make an impact at Newcastle United following a move from Northampton Town. There followed loan spells at Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town, Scunthorpe United and Wigan Athletic, before he really made his mark at Peterborough United, then proved his Premier League pedigree at Brentford.
Toney has scored five goals this season, reducing Manchester United's defence to rubble when they lost 4-0 at Brentford, before scoring a hat-trick of great variety and skill in a 5-2 win against Leeds United.
He scored a penalty - Brentford manager Thomas Frank believes he is the best penalty taker in the game and this will be noted before a World Cup - plus a brilliant free-kick and a delicate lob for his third with Leeds United keeper Illan Meslier out of his ground.
Eyebrows have been raised by a few following his elevation into the England conversation, but Toney is not simply a player of power, he has touch too and his call-up is not only a reward for persistence and moving through football's domestic pyramid, but genuinely merited on the evidence of this season.
Now, with other contenders such as Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Newcastle United's Callum Wilson and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford injured, and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins out of sorts, Toney will put himself up against AS Roma's Tammy Abraham in a contest to become England captain Harry Kane's deputy.
There was disappointment for Rashford's Manchester United team-mate Jadon Sancho, the 22-year-old failing to win a recall despite signs in recent weeks that he is finally adjusting to life at Old Trafford following a £73m move from Borussia Dortmund in July 2021, with goals in the win against Liverpool and the decider at Leicester City.
Many World Cup squads have contained the so-called 'bolter' - the player who makes a late surge for selection from out of the pack.
Could Toney be that player? What a chance for him.