Gareth Southgate has now explained why he selected Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa in England’s final Euro 2024 squad.
It would have been an anxious wait for several players on Thursday, including Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa, as they waited for Gareth Southgate’s verdict.
The England manager had to trim down his 33-man squad to 26 players and there were some notable omissions, with Manchester United’s Harry Maguire and Manchester City’s Jack Grealish both missing out.
Whilst it was despair for former Villa hero Grealish, it was ecstasy for Konsa, who was one of eight defenders listed by Southgate.
Konsa had a tremendous campaign at Villa Park as he outranked Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes for the best tackle success rate in the Premier League, and was one of Unai Emery’s most dependable players.
Whether he was asked to play as a right-back or in his natural central position, the 26-year-old was dubbed the best defender at Villa after missing just three matches in the top flight.
As the Villans booked their place in next season’s Champions League, Konsa played a vital role and deservedly earned a spot on the plane, with Southgate now explaining why.
Gareth Southgate explains Ezri Konsa’s inclusion in England’s Euro 2024 squad
Speaking to the media after making the decision, Southgate said: “Lewis and Marc played the other night but Ezri Konsa has had an excellent season at Aston Villa.
“We have been using him as a full-back in some of the recent games but he also played at centre-half for us in March and was outstanding.
“That is his strongest position so there are various options there as well as the fact Joe Gomez can play in a number of positions.”
Although he selected Lewis Dunk and Marc Guehi at centre-back for their 3-0 victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina on Monday night, he singled out Konsa for praise, claiming he was “outstanding” for England in March’s 2-2 draw against Belgium.
Will Ezri Konsa play a part for England at Euro 2024?
Konsa started at right-back against Bosnia, a position where he’s been used frequently for club and country.
The former Brentford man will hope for regular minutes in the tournament but with Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier as options at right-back, it’s hard to see him get the nod over that trio.
With Maguire missing out, Konsa’s best chance for minutes will perhaps be at centre-back where he has the likes of Joe Gomez, John Stones, Guehi and Dunk as competition.
The Villa stalwart has arguably had a better season than all four of those options but the England manager is likely to lean on the tournament experience of Stones, though that second spot is up for grabs.
Southgate’s comments on Konsa, labelling his campaign as “excellent”, suggest he could play a prominent role at Euro 2024 and it’s the least he deserves after a stellar season.
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