England manager Gareth Southgate has reportedly cut James Maddison from his provisional Euro 2024 squad, guaranteeing that the Tottenham star will not feature at this summer’s tournament.
Maddison played 30 minutes of England’s 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday, but failed to stamp his authority on the match as the likes of Eberechi Eze, Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold impressed instead.
Despite being a prominent Premier League playmaker, formerly with Leicester City and now at Spurs, Maddison has long found himself on the fringes at international level, with only seven caps to his name.
According to The Athletic, Southgate has informed the 27-year-old that he will not be part of his 26-man squad for Euro 2024. Maddison is said to have left the England camp ahead of their final warm-up friendly, against Iceland on Friday.
The Coventry-born midfielder was part of England’s last major tournament squad at the Qatar World Cup in 2022, but he didn’t make an appearance at the tournament. Maddison came flying out of the blocks in 2023/24 after a £40million move to Tottenham, but he tailed off during the latter part of the campaign, finishing with only four Premier League goals.
“You have to make sure when you are called upon, you have to go and do the business,” Maddison said when assessing his England chances back in March. “I don’t lack the confidence and belief in myself to do that, but you still have to go and do it, you have to produce.
“I just want that opportunity, I want that time on the pitch, because I know what I’m capable of. I know the quality that I have and possess and that can help this team, most definitely. You’ve also got to show it and you have also got to have the opportunity to show it.”
Southgate needs to trim seven players from his 33-man provisional squad by Friday night, and the decision on Maddison means only six stars are left at risk. The likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane are certain to be included.
Inexperienced youngsters such as Adam Wharton, Jarell Quansah, James Trafford and Eze are still fighting for their spots as Southgate prepares to wield the axe. England’s first game of the Euros is against Serbia on June 16, with subsequent matches against Denmark and Slovenia also on the horizon.
