Gareth missing trick with Maddison snub
James Maddison's England career amounts to just 34 minutes in a 7-0 win over Montenegro in November 2019.
It has been almost three years since he last represented his country but there is no sign that his exile will end any time soon.
That is such a shame. I would have loved to have seen him in this latest squad, for the games against Italy and Germany, and I believe the Leicester midfielder has been playing well enough to be included in the group Gareth Southgate selected.
Leicester were defeated 6-2 by Tottenham last Saturday but Maddison could not have done any more to turn things Leicester's way — scoring the goal just before half-time that drew them level.
He played as he always does, with fearlessness and invention, and that's hard to do in a struggling team.
Maddison has three goals so far this season. He scored 18 in 53 games last year and I have seen enough of him to feel certain when I say there is so much more maturity in his game. He can pick a pass and take an excellent set-piece; he works hard, runs miles and is always enthusiastic.
But for England, he still gets overlooked.
Southgate has been bang on about so many things during his time in charge of England and this is not a view that is intended to cause any kind of diversion. But I just feel a trick is being missed in not giving him an opportunity to see if he can transfer his talents to the highest level.
Admittedly, Maddison didn't do himself any favours when he was photographed in a casino in October 2019, the night England were playing in the Czech Republic. Maddison had pulled out of the squad for that game, having said he was unwell, and it was not a good look — even though he was handed his sole England cap a month later.
At the time, Southgate said Maddison would have 'learned a lesson a hard way' but as things stand, I wonder if the England manager is going to see whether there has been any change from a player who has so many different attributes.
In this squad for the games against Italy and Germany, England have 12 defenders. When you consider that Declan Rice can play as a central defender too, it implies that caution and keeping things tight is their priority. For what other reason would there be 13 defensive players?
Even when Kalvin Phillips withdrew over the weekend, there wasn't even a slight possibility that Maddison would be drafted in as a wildcard to fill the void.
Gareth's argument would certainly reference the four Nations League games in June. He played 4-3-3 against Hungary, in the last fixture at Molineux, and ended up seeing England get picked off on the counter-attack and lose 4-0.
He has studied the results of tournaments over a number of years and the most successful teams are the ones who keep clean sheets and, of course, I respect that view — how could you not respect a man who has taken England to a World Cup semi-final and European Championship final?
Taking the last step, however, requires players who have the courage to take risks and play passes that have a bit of imagination. In the final of Euro 2020, for instance, I never thought England were going to win once Leonardo Bonucci had equalised for Italy.
At the point in a game when things are tight, Maddison would be a fantastic option to introduce, say, in the 70th minute. He has the tools to change the direction of the match and provide the ingenuity that makes the difference.
Of course, I understand the value of clean sheets but to concentrate on the defensive side takes so much else away.
It would be understandable to prioritise the back four if we had the best back four or five in the world but we haven't got that.
I have sympathy for Maddison because it must be hard knowing he is playing this well in a World Cup year but, for all that he pushes, the door back into the England squad won't open. He has the qualities to offer this England team so much. It's a shame, I feel, that we will not get to see them in Qatar.
