Dean Saunders has said that he can’t believe what he’s heard regarding one particular Manchester City player recently.
Having won the Premier League for the sixth time in seven years at the end of their latest season under Pep Guardiola, numerous players in the City squad are now gearing up for the upcoming European Championship in Germany.
Now though, a pundit has been unable to conceal his astonishment at one thing he’s heard about a specific City player over the past few days.
Dean Saunders baffled by Jack Grealish news
Speaking on talkSPORT, Saunders had this to say about Gareth Southgate’s decision to leave Jack Grealish out of the final England squad for the Euros.
He said: “I mean, it’s tough leaving people out. We were talking earlier, it may be best putting people on standby, like Ray [Parlour] said, and not having to do this to people. It’s the false hope.
“£100 million, playing for Manchester City, and he is not even in the 26. It doesn’t seem right. Or [James] Maddison. I think Maddison is a great player. When you are away for three weeks, a month or however long it is, when you are in the tournament, you are trying to have a happy camp.
“And if you have got experienced players who expect to be playing, walking around with their face down their boots or they can’t expect not starting, then maybe sometimes you have two kids in who are happy to be there, training properly every day, they lift the tempo up in training, but I would have left [Adam] Wharton and [Kobbie] Mainoo out for Grealish.
“I would have played Grealish before them two. They are great little young players, but to leave Jack Grealish out of the 26, not the 11, he can’t get into the 26, Pep must be thinking.”
Grealish will be disappointed with Southgate decision
Even though the winger only started 26 of the 36 games he appeared in for City this season across all competitions, the £300k-a-week star was still included in the initial 33-man squad for England.
Despite delivering an assist in Monday’s 3-0 friendly win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, the 28-year-old, as well as other players such as James Maddison and Jarrad Branthwaite, was cut from the final squad, who will be heading to Germany for the upcoming international tournament.
Having made 36 senior appearances for England, compared to the three combined appearances that Wharton and Mainoo have between them ahead of tonight’s friendly against Iceland, it’s understandable why Saunders is surprised that Southgate chose to cut Grealish from the final squad.