Southgate has axed nine players from first England XI including forgotten stars

17 June 2024 , 17:17

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Gareth Southgate has been in charge of England for eight years and only two managers have overseen more matches than the former defender.

Southgate passed Sir Bobby Robson’s tally of 95 games with England’s Euro 2024 opener against Serbia on Sunday night. He is now behind only Sir Walter Winterbottom and Sir Alf Ramsey on the all-time list – and much has changed during his spell in the hot seat.

The 53-year-old is now coaching at his fourth major tournament with England, having been in charge for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and Euro 2020. Southgate is known for his loyalty to players, but things are bound to have moved on over the last eight years.

His first England XI came for a 2-0 victory over Malta back in October 2016, so after reaching a landmark of his career, Mirror Football takes a look back at that team, with only two players left standing.

Joe Hart

Jordan Pickford was yet to take over from Hart back in 2016. Hart made 75 appearances for England between 2008 and 2017 before losing his place to the Everton keeper. After playing for Celtic, he called time on his career aged 37 at the end of the most recent season and was in Gelsenkirchen as a pundit for the BBC, rather than between the sticks.

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Kyle Walker

One of the stalwarts who is still going from back then. Walker ranks fourth for minutes played under Southgate for England, behind only Pickford, Harry Maguire and Harry Kane. The Manchester City right-back is now 34 years old but he hasn’t lost his trademark pace and remains first-choice in a competitive position.

John Stones

John Stones is still marshalling the England back line (Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

The only other remaining player. With Maguire missing from Euro 2024 due to injury, Stones was partnered by Marc Guehi against Serbia. The Man City man has been absolutely key for England at the past three major tournaments and is hugely important this time around too.

Gary Cahill

Before Maguire came Cahill, but the former Chelsea man retired in 2022 after stepping back from international duty in 2018. He has donned an England shirt while playing in the past two Soccer Aid matches, but at 38 years old is a fair few years off his prime.

Ryan Bertrand

Ryan Bertrand was England's left-back in Gareth Southgate's first match

Bertrand won 19 caps for England and played at Euro 2016 under Roy Hodgson thanks to some eye-catching form for Southampton. After leaving Chelsea, he spent six years with Saints before heading to Leicester in 2021, where his career tailed off. Bertrand, now 34, was released by the Foxes last summer.

Jordan Henderson

Another Southgate favourite who has fallen by the wayside. Henderson has won 81 caps for his country but an ill-judged move from Liverpool to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq last summer ended up torpedoing his international career, with a subsequent switch to Ajax not resurrecting it. The 34-year-old midfielder will struggle to get back into the side now.

Dele Alli

Dele Alli used to be a key player for England (PA)

The former Tottenham midfielder burned bright during his peak years in north London and was a part of Southgate’s first-choice side at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. His personal issues, which he bravely opened up on last summer, have stalled his progress on the pitch, with a move to Everton and then a loan to Besiktas not working out.

Jesse Lingard

His partnership with Dele as marauding No8s at the 2018 World Cup was key to England’s success, but Lingard has also dipped in recent years. After leaving boyhood club Manchester United, Lingard moved to Nottingham Forest and now plays his football in South Korea for FC Seoul.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney was nearing the end of his England career (AFP/Getty Images)

The last of Rooney’s 120 caps and 53 goals for England came in 2018. Still only 38 years old, Rooney has moved into management and punditry. After spells at Derby County, DC United and Birmingham City, he was appointed manager of Plymouth recently and has been a regular face on punditry duty for Sky and the BBC.

Theo Walcott

Famously brought in by Sven-Goran Eriksson as a teenager, Walcott was nearing the end of his international career in 2016. He left Arsenal for Everton in 2018 before returning to his boyhood club Southampton to finish his career and retire in 2023. The 35-year-old has moved into punditry since then, often working on Arsenal games.

Daniel Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge scored one of England's two goals (Getty Images)

Sturridge scored eight goals in 26 games for England but was hampered by injuries. His last cap came in 2017 and his club career tailed off too when he left Liverpool in 2019 for Trabzonspor in Turkey. After a stint at Perth Glory in Australia, he has been without a club since 2022 and, at 34, has moved into punditry like many of his peers.