West Ham United: Gareth Southgate makes Kalvin Phillips decision with England announcement due
West Ham midfielder Kalvin Phillips has not been named in Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad to face Belgium and Brazil, according to David Ornstein.
The England boss is set to announce the squad officially at 2pm on 14 March, but The Athletic journalist reported that both Phillips and Manchester City’s Jack Grealish have been left out.
The midfielder has been in poor form since arriving at the London Stadium, seemingly leaving Southgate with no choice but to leave him out of this squad.
West Ham midfielder Kalvin Phillips not named in England squad by Gareth Southgate
Since moving on loan to the London Stadium in the January transfer window, Phillips’ performances have drawn plenty of criticism after a slow start where he made several key errors and was sent off in the clash against Nottingham Forest.
Southgate’s decision to leave him out of the latest England squad had been expected and was always on the cards given the standard of his performances compared to others contending for the position, but will still come as a blow.
His displays since joining West Ham have led to widespread criticism, with Graeme Souness going as far as to claim that the midfielder is not even Premier League quality as he only shone during his time with Leeds United.
With just months between now and the upcoming European Championships, this squad is Southgate’s last chance to test players before deciding on who will travel to Germany, with Phillips suffering a blow to his chances.
In other West Ham news, Alan Pardew gave David Moyes advice live on talkSPORT.
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