In a surprising move, England manager Gareth Southgate has excluded Manchester City winger Jack Grealish from the final squad for Euro 2024, following a disappointing second half of the season.
Grealish (28) paid the price for his significant dip in form after the mid-season break, becoming the biggest name dropped from the initial 33-man squad, which was reduced to 26 today.
City manager Pep Guardiola did not rely on Grealish in the FA Cup final loss to rivals Manchester United in May, leaving him on the bench, as he did in the Premier League title-deciding match against West Ham in the final round, and before that against Tottenham.
Grealish came on in the 61st minute of England's 3-0 friendly win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday, but his participation was not enough to convince Southgate to give him a place in the final squad.
Grealish was not the only big name left out, as United centre-back Harry Maguire and Tottenham playmaker James Maddison were also absent.
Maguire was unable to prove his fitness after suffering a calf injury, while the decision to exclude Maddison came after his dip in form at the end of the season.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, and Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah joined the list of seven players excluded from the final squad.
Here is the squad:
- Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace).
- Defenders: Kyle Walker, John Stones (Manchester City), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Lewis Dunk (Brighton).
- Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Kobie Mainoo (Manchester United), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool).
- Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace).
