Pundit shocked live on talkSPORT after West Ham United ace James Ward-Prowse England snub
West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse should have been selected in the latest England squad, according to pundit Adrian Clarke.
Gareth Southgate selected six midfielders in his Three Lions squad to take on Ukraine on Saturday (9 September) and Scotland on Tuesday (12 September).
But there was no place for Ward-Prowse, with the likes of Al-Ettifaq’s Jordan Henderson and Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips selected instead.
“Kalvin Phillips shouldn’t be near the England squad, Henderson shouldn’t be near the England squad,” Clarke said live on talkSPORT.
“Ward-Prowse should be in there instead of Henderson, shouldn’t he?”
Strange decision
Southgate’s latest Three Lions squad shows that he remains loyal to his players, with the manager picking Henderson amid plenty of scrutiny following the midfielder’s move to Saudi Arabia.
Selections for Manchester City man Phillips and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire meanwhile emphasise this loyalty, with both players severely lacking playing time in recent weeks.
Making the decision to omit Ward-Prowse is made even more strange given the player’s superb start to the new season, with the midfielder registering one goal and three assists from his first three matches for the Hammers.
He may not have started for the Three Lions had he been selected, but it still would have made sense to include him over Henderson or Phillips.
As for some of the other England midfielders, selections for Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham cannot be disputed. The former has immediately hit the ground running at new club Arsenal, with the latter constantly starring for his new club Real Madrid.
In other West Ham news, a Sky Sports journalist has shared a “mistake” verdict on a new Hammers signing.