WHY WAN-BISSAKA IS SNUBBED BY ENGLAND

  • Posted on: 16 November 2020

England manager Gareth Southgate has revealed the reason behind his decision to exclude Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka from his latest squad.

Wan-Bissaka was conspicuously absent on the 29-man list of players called up to prosecute the internationals in November. Southgate and his wards are facing games against Home Nations rivals Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Iceland. The Republic of Ireland game is a friendly, while the others are in the UEFA Nations League.

On the exclusion of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the England manager told reporters that other right-sided defenders are ahead of him. He has an array of quality players at his disposal on the right side of defence - all of it adding up and making it so that all 6 of the best betting sites in uk have him as a rank outsider to be included in England's Euro 2021 squad.

Manchester City player Kyle Walker, Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier, Chelsea player Reece James, and Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold are all ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the England right-back pecking order though Trent has been forced to pull out of the Ireland, Belgium and Iceland matches because of a calf problem. The Arsenal duo of Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bukayo Saka are also options for Gareth Southgate in that position.

Southgate praised Aaron Wan-Bissaka for his ability in the one-on-one duels. According to him, he's one of the best he has seen in that aspect of the game. The England manager further said that he favours the attack-minded right-backs in a bid to find the right balance.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s defensive numbers are unrivalled in the Premier League. Last season, he won 80 tackles and 11 more than the nearest challenger. The £50m defender was dribbled past by the opposition on just 22 occasions. In stark contrast, Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold was dribbled past 41 times but his 13 assists from last season show that the England manager favours an attacking fullback.

The England manager is also contemplating a reunion with Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy who has retired from international football. Southgate said that he would speak with Vardy about a possible return to the national team setup if he continues his impressive form in front of goal.