Eberechi Eze and Lewis Dunk have been called up to England squad for June international break ahead of Raheem Sterling and Ben White.
Eberechi Eze will be hoping for a first outing in international colours in June, while Dunk, who has played once for England joins the team for the first time since 2018.
Chelsea players Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell as well as Arsenal defender Ben White were not included in the 25-player squad.
Ben White, who recently got married to his lover Milly Adams, was reportedly reached out to by Gareth Southgate after he left the World Cup in Qatar early due to personal reasons.
Speaking in regards to Sterling’s case, Southgate in a press conference said: “I spoke with him a week or so ago, he’s not happy physically with his condition. He’s been carrying a hamstring problem.”
“He really wasn’t in consideration so we didn’t get to the point of whether he should be in or out. He doesn’t think he’s operating at the level he needs.”
Marcus Rashford and Trent Alexander-Arnold also returned to the squad after missing out on the March qualifiers due to injury and form issues respectively.
Tyrone Mings also returns into the team after impressing for Aston Villa, while Callum Wilson is included having been in red-hot form for Newcastle.
England Squad
- Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
- Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
- Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Maddison (Leicester), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (West Ham)
- Forwards: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Callum Wilson (Newcastle)
Newcastle goalie Nick Pope has a hand injury and Sam Johnstone of Crystal palace was called up in his place.
Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Oluchi Eze is an English footballer who was born on 29 June 1998 and plays as an attacking midfielder for Crystal Palace.
Eze was born in Greenwich, Greater London to Nigerian parents.
The Nigerian reflected on his life growing up and revealed that: “There are the nice parts [of Greenwich] and the not so nice parts. I grew up in a not so nice part. It wasn’t the easiest life and you don’t have as much as other kids around you.”
“The first place we’d go after school is to the cage. We’d stay there till our parents called us in, not eating, playing all day and night.”
“There wasn’t really anything else to do. But that’s where the love comes from. [At the time], you don’t realise it’s actually how you’re learning your trade,” he concluded.
He also confirmed that growing up, his footballing idol was Ronaldinho.
Eze later met Bright Osayi-Samuel, his teammate during his time at Queens Park Rangers, at secondary school and played football together at the same district team.
Lewis Dunk
Lewis Carl Dunk is an English footballer who was born on 21 November 1991 and plays as a centre-back for Brighton & Hove Albion as the captain.
Dunk has spent the entirety of his career at his hometown club Brighton aside a brief spell at Bristol City in 2013 after he became a professional in 2010.
The defender also became the club’s captain from the 2019–20 season. He also captained the club to its maiden European qualification in the 2022–23 season.
