5 players who deserved a spot in Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad

#3 James Maddison (Leicester City)

Maddison has really stood out in his debut Premier League season

Possibly the most surprising omission from Southgate’s squad is that of James Maddison. The Leicester City man has suffered from the uncertainty at his club, which has seen little consistency in team selection even after manager Claude Puel was replaced by Brendan Rodgers. However, Maddison has still been one of the Foxes’ top performers and has adapted well to life in the Premier League.

It is almost baffling that Maddison has been left out of the squad, given the statistics alone. No player in England’s top five leagues has created more chances than Maddison. The 22-year-old has also scored five goals, while providing a further six assists. Many commented that at the World Cup, England lacked creativity, and that was their downfall against some of the better quality sides. Maddison would certainly have provided that creativity.