Anthony Gordon has suggested that some of the star names that have been overlooked for Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad, including Jude Bellingham, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden, shouldn’t take their omission personally. The Newcastle United forward went on to insist that it needs to be a team effort if the Three Lions are going to win major international tournaments, and is under no illusions that his place in the team is guaranteed.Speaking to reports ahead of Thursday’s clash with Wales, Gordon said: “I don’t think it’s anything do with them [the big-name players left out] individually. I think they’re all at different stages in their career. I think it’s more about the team. We have to focus on the team. It’s a team that’s going to win tournaments, hopefully, so it’s never going to be about individuals, and the moment we start making it about individuals we have got a problem.”I think the last camp was probably the best I’ve been part of, in terms of the vibe of the camp. Everyone seemed really happy, really content, and we put in probably our best performance, and it seemed like everything clicked on and off the pitch. So it doesn’t surprise me that the same team has been called up again. But we can’t be complacent, and think that is just going to be fine from now on. We have got to better our levels again.
“The moment you start thinking like that [that you’ve got a place in the team], then you’ve probably got a problem. At this level, you see the squad’s changing all the time, players come in, players leave. You almost have to be a bit paranoid that you’re not going to get in, because it pushes you even further. You’ve always got to challenge yourself, because the lads you are competing with are always at the highest level, that’s the level we’re playing at. So I never think that I’m nailed in. Obviously it’s a massive goal [to be an England regular] and one that I am pushing for.”
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