Aaron Ramsdale’s Euro 2024 hopes are not over according to Gareth Southgate (Picture: Getty)
Gareth Southgate has hinted he may still be prepared to select Aaron Ramsdale for England’s Euro 2024 squad despite his lack of game time at Arsenal.
Ramsdale has seen his minutes severely limited since the arrival of David Raya on loan from Brentford at the start of the season.
The Englishman started only his second league game since Raya’s arrival last weekend – against the Spaniard’s parent club, Brentford – and committed a huge error when he dallied on the ball and allowed Yoane Wissa to charge down his clearance and score a bizarre equaliser.
Back in November last, Southgate had suggested that it would be difficult to select the 25-year-old for the national team if he spent a lengthy part of the season deputising for Raya.
Ramsdale opted to stay with Arsenal in January but was, this week, named in England’s squad for friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
His hopes of any extended spell back in the first team before the summer tournament look extremely faint, especially after Raya’s heroics in their Champions League last-16 penalty shootout win against Porto in midweek.
But Southgate suggested that he may be willing to walk back previous comments over Ramsdale’s lack of minutes and take a risk by selecting him in his 23-man squad for Germany.
Ramsdale has been named in the England squad for their upcoming friendlies (Picture: Getty)
‘We have picked the three goalkeepers we think are the best,’ the England boss told reporters at Wembley on Thursday.
‘It’s not ideal that Aaron’s not playing. But he showed last week, to respond to the mistake the way that he did, that he has the mental resilience to play for England. In that position on the pitch, in particular, that’s crucial.
‘We still believe he can force his way back into the team there [at Arsenal]. That will be more difficult after the penalty shoot-out the other day I would imagine. But he’s just got to keep pushing every day and training well every day.
‘I think if we’ve got three goalkeepers and one isn’t regular, it’s not perfect, but at this moment in time we are prepared to take that chance.’
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