Jesse Lingard must be included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2020 squad and could start ahead of Raheem Sterling.
That’s the view of talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham, who also argues Lingard is the Premier League’s best player on current form.
AFP
The midfielder has been incredible since joining West Ham on loan from Manchester United, scoring eight goals in nine Premier League appearances for the Hammers this term.
His latest heroics saw him bag two goals in a 3-2 win over Leicester as West Ham continue their pursuit of an unlikely top-four finish.
Having been recalled to the Three Lions squad last month, Lingard’s chances of making it for the upcoming finals are increasing, especially in light of James Maddison being one of the Leicester players caught breaching COVID rules.
Durham is in no doubt Lingard should be in the England squad, adding that he’d get in ahead of the likes of Sterling.
Getty Images
However, the talkSPORT host said that it’s unlikely Lingard would keep the Manchester City star out of the team.
On Lingard, Durham said: “He’s been phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal. I don’t think there’s any doubt he’s going to the Euros.
“For me, right now, and I know we’ve got a lot of players for those kind of positions in the England team but he starts for England.
“I’m even saying he starts ahead of Sterling on current form. I’m a massive Raheem Sterling fan but on current form…
“I’m not saying Lingard will keep Sterling out of the team, there are a number of positions that are available.
“It would be a surprise to me if Sterling starts but of all those players, him, Sterling, Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount.
“I think looking at the two players in-form are Mount and Lingard right now.
“There’s a lot about trust and loyalty and that’s why Gareth Southgate has gone with him because he enjoys working with him.
“Maddison’s out of the picture… Grealish has been out for a while now, was he always going to get in the England squad? If he played every game, he might have got in.
getty
“I still think there’s a debate… I think Gareth Southgate might have second thoughts about taking him.
“He’s got to take Phil Foden, I think that’s a no-brainer. Sterling’s going to go, if Sancho’s fit he goes, if Marcus Rashford’s fit he goes, Mount definitely.
“He’s definitely got to take Lingard. If there’s an England game tomorrow, Jesse Lingard starts.
“On current form, I think Jesse Lingard is the best player in the Premier League.”
And speaking on Monday Night’s Sports Bar Jason Cundy was in total agreement with Durham, who he believes needed to step away from the Old Trafford bubble in order to reignite his career.
“He’s on fire and in the form of his life,” Cundy said.
“And if you look at the club he’s playing for, he came through an academy that produces huge amounts of talent and you do get some players that go on and maintain their status in the team.
talkSPORT
“But it felt like maybe he was overawed by some of the big signings like [Paul] Pogba and [Bruno] Fernandes who have come in.
“Going away from that situation and being a small fish in a big pond at Manchester United, he’s now the man [at West Ham].
“It feels like he’s thought to himself ‘I’ve come from United and England and I’m going to show you how good I am’.
“No-one could have predicted this. But right now, he’s as good as anything in the league since he’s been there.”
Andy Goldstein seemed taken aback by his co-host’s bold view, but Cundy insisted: “Since he’s been at West Ham he’s been right up there [with the best] mate.
“Right now Jesse Lingard is up there with some of the best players in the Premier League.”
from Football - news, transfers, fixtures, scores, pictures https://ift.tt/3mS5w89
via IFTTT
No Comment