Jarrad Branthwaite has been called up for England thanks to his brilliant form for Everton (Photo: Getty)
Gary Lineker has added his congratulations to the two players called-up to the England squad for the first time.
On Thursday, Gareth Southgate named his 25-man squad for the upcoming March international break – his last squad before he names his side for Euro 2024.
The Three Lions are taking on Belgium and Brazil in friendlies, with this the last chance Southgate has to assess who will be on the plane to Germany in the summer.
As per usual, there has been much debate other who has and hasn’t been called-up, with much of the discourse revolving around Ben White’s absence and the omission of Kobbie Mainoo.
But notably, there are also three uncapped players: Ezri Konsa, Jarrad Branthwaite and Anthony Gordon – the latter two being called-up for their country for the very first time.
The pair’s selection has been very well received given their exceptional form for Everton and Newcastle this season.
Centre-back Branthwaite has been a rock at the back for the Toffees and cannot be faulted for their poor position in the Premier League, while forward Gordon has 10 goals and seven assists across all competitions for the Magpies.
Anthony Gordon has survived an injury scare to make the England squad (Photo: Getty)
Legendary England striker Lineker has certainly been impressed, retweeting posts regarding the pair’s call-ups with the message: ‘Richly deserved’.
Southgate himself was full of praise for the young duo, saying of Branthwaite: ‘He’s in on merit and we’re keen to find out more about him.
‘He’s good with the ball, shows good composure, good mentality. He’s a left-footer and we don’t have many left-footed defenders.
‘He has played consistently well, his development , we watched him as a backup centre half with the U21 finals last year and if you would have said to me he would play as consistently well at the level he has, then I would have questioned that last summer – so great credit to him.’
With Gordon, he added: ‘He’s been consistently good performances, was very close in November and has continued his form. He’s scoring, his work for the team is excellent.
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‘He competes, which is important. I really like his attitude. He’s another one we watched closely with the U21s where he fulfilled a different role as a false nine but did that really well.
‘He’s had a very good season, has got goals against some of the big teams, which for us is also very interesting.’
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