Ferdinand proposes radical England change with Southgate 'bang in trouble'

19 June 2024 , 20:09

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Rio Ferdinand has called for Gareth Southgate to make a radical change to his starting line-up (Image: GETTY)

Rio Ferdinand has urged Gareth Southgate to select Bukayo Saka at left-back if Luke Shaw's injury troubles continue.

Shaw was on the bench for the win over Serbia, but did not come on and trained away from the rest of the squad on Wednesday. Kieran Trippier was played out of position to fill in in Shaw's absence.

But if the Newcastle captain becomes injured or gets suspended, England's options at left-back become thin. One radical option would be to move Saka to left-back, with the 22-year-old having featured heavily in that position in the early stages of his Arsenal career.

Saka starred on the right wing for the Three Lions against Serbia though, providing the assist for Jude Bellingham's winner. But Ferdinand believes that Saka would be boss Southgate's best option if the worst did happen.

"If Shaw's not fit then 100 per cent, we're bang in trouble. We would have to put Saka at left-back. I'd play Saka at left-back then I would. If you ain't got Shaw and you ain't got Trippier then I would play Saka at left-back," Ferdinand told the Vibe podcast.

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"I'd play it where as soon as we get possession Saka is a left winger. Did you see how many times he stood up the full-back and destroyed him, like skinned him? I thought Saka was really good. First 45, the wing-play he showed… you know what I liked about it? He mixed it up.

"He didn't always come inside. He went on the outside a couple of times. The defender didn't know which way he was going to go but second half, when they put pressure on us, that was the problem. We didn't respond well to that."

HAVE YOUR SAY! What should be England's line-up against Denmark? Comment below.

Ferdinand believes Bukayo Saka could be effective at left-back if Luke Shaw and Kieran Trippier are unavailable (Matt McNulty/UEFA)

Given his standout performance in the first-half of the Serbia win, it is unlikely Saka would be too happy moving into defence. The Arsenal star is itching to get back out on the pitch, with England's campaign continuing against Denmark on Thursday.

"The first half, I was happy. I managed to get into good positions, dribbling, running in behind to affect the game and creating some chances for my teammates. I'm enjoying playing football. However the opposition set up, you have to find a way to break it down," he said.

"We can be positive. Winning the first game is so important for the confidence and momentum. We want to build on our performance. I think in the second half Serbia were much more aggressive.

"We had to dig deep but if we're going to win the tournament we have to show that side. We were waiting a long time for game one. It came and we won it so we're confident and happy now. We're looking forward to the next game and another challenge.

"We've played Denmark before and it wasn't easy so we're just doing our best to prepare for it. We have an idea of how they'll set up. One thing we know is that they're a team with quality. We played them in the last Euros and we went to extra time with them so we know it will be tough. We want to go and win again."

Jacob Leeks