3 Everton Players Named In Gareth Southgate’s 33-Man Provisional England Squad

Gareth Southgate has announced his 33-man provisional squad for Euro 2020. This has resulted in a lot of discussion on social media platforms such as Twitter, with some supporting his selection and others who believe he made some serious mistakes in leaving out certain players. It’s undoubtedly complicated to pick a squad for international competitions with so much choice on offer, and this is complicated further by the fact that these numbers must be reduced to 26 by 1 June. So what were Southgate’s reasons for announcing a 33-man provisional squad?

When speaking about this, Southgate addressed the issue with players competing in European finals for their own clubs respectively. He said: “There are 12 players still to play so we’re always going to need additional players.” He also cited concerns about injury and the unknowns that this adds to the equation. He added that the extra time he’s given himself is needed to help “make better decisions”.

Why is this such a contentious issue? Well, for a start the Euros is one of the most-watched footballing events in the world, and it attracts attention from countries outside of Europe. Many debates are raging as to who will win and what the results will be, and this is indicated strongly by the popularity of websites like asiabet.org. Placing bets on the Euros is popular for a variety of factors and this is likely due to the exciting, unpredictable games available for viewing. Watching the most talented players from all domestic leagues compete on the world stage is a pastime that has been beloved for as long as international football has been broadcast, and this year we’re seeing some of the brightest young Premier League talents selected to play.

Within Southgate’s 33-man provisional squad, one team from outside the “top 6” features three selected players. Everton started the Premier League with great promise in 2020, with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, but unfortunately failed to deliver when it came to home fixtures. Despite this, the team defeated Liverpool at Anfield for the first time since 1999, as well as dominating most of their games in London (something they have struggled with for much of the Premier League era).

Amongst those who may possibly get cut from the squad is Ben Godfrey (Everton). Godfrey signed for Everton at the start of the 2020/21 season from relegated Norwich City FC and has proved himself to be one of the most talented and formidable young defenders in the country. Starting as a replacement right-back during the Merseyside Derby, Godfrey was thrown in at the deep end. He then had a spell as replacement left-back before cementing himself as a starting player in his preferred position of centre back. During his time throughout the season, he’s impressed Southgate, and it’s believed that he wants the young player to gain some experience with the England squad even if he doesn’t make the 26-man cut.

Another young Everton player that made the cut this far is Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Sheffield-born striker has scored 28 goals this season, seven of which came for England. It seems as though Calvert-Lewin has been deemed the main striker for England aside from Harry Kane. While obviously a world-class goalscorer, some people are concerned with how injury-prone Kane is, so this tournament could prove to be a huge opportunity for Calvert-Lewin.

Perhaps the most hotly debated position in the conversation is the goalkeeper. Jordan Pickford has been England’s number one goalkeeper since 2018. The team performed well in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, reaching the semi-finals where they were knocked out. They even managed to win a penalty shootout, such a rarity for England that the squad seems to have developed something of a complex over it. Pickford’s heroics were praised at the time, but since then his performances for Everton have varied in quality, and some believe he isn’t the man for the job. Despite this, Nick Pope is injured, which means it’s highly unlikely that his spot is up for grabs. While Dean Henderson is an excellent young goalkeeper, some believe his lack of experience will mean he can’t hold the coveted goalkeeper position.

Now is the time to wait and see how these players fare. With Everton not competing in any more fixtures until the 2021/22 season, it’s unlikely we will see an injury to any of these players before the Euros begin, and so we could see them competing in the tournament throughout June and July.