Two More England younger has been promoted to first team in shock decision from Gareth Southgate
Two U21 players have been promoted to the senior England team by Gareth Southgate in advance of Tuesday’s friendly match against Belgium.
Prior to the meeting at Wembley, Southgate has called up goalkeeper James Trafford, 21, and full-back Rico Lewis, 19, for the match.
The choice was made when Sam Johnstone, Harry Maguire, and Kyle Walker withdrew from the team due to injuries.
Trafford, the custodian for Burnley, has represented England at the under-17 and under-21 levels, but this is his first senior call-up.
Man Utd supporter chanting “Rasmus Hojlund” Credit: PrinceRyank28 on Instagram
The England team that won the U21 European Championship last summer featured the custodian in a leading role.
Lewis, a young player for Manchester City, made his debut against North Macedonia in November, and he already has one senior cap.
Walker, Johnstone, and Maguire have all returned to their individual clubs for evaluation.
The two acquisitions carry on Southgate’s tradition of giving young players chances and debuts to individuals who had not yet received a cap.
In England’s 1-0 loss to Brazil on Saturday, Ezri Konsa, Anthony Gordon, and 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo all got their senior debuts. Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite will be looking to follow suit against Belgium on Tuesday.
The England players have one more chance to persuade Southgate that they should be in his squad for this summer’s Euro 2024—their match on Tuesday.
Before starting their Euro campaign against Serbia on June 16, England will play friendlies against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland in June. However, by that time, Southgate will have announced his tournament team.
Against Brazil, England’s defence appeared unsteady, with Maguire in particular finding it difficult to maintain his cool.
Branthwaite’s chances of earning a starting position in Germany this summer may be enhanced with a confident performance against Belgium.
Lewis will have to fight hard to be chosen over England’s abundance of full-back choices, but Trafford has a good chance of being chosen as the backup custodian ahead of Johnstone of Crystal Palace.
