Worst England XI capped by Gareth Southgate features Leeds man and ex-Arsenal youngster

Gareth Southgate handed out some questionable caps during his eight years as England manager, experimenting in friendlies during his first few years and thus giving us plenty of names to choose from when picking his worst XI.

These guys have all played for England under Southgate, with the majority only featuring in friendlies, but featuring nonetheless.

GK: Alex McCarthy

On November 15, 2018, Gareth Southgate fielded a line-up against the United States including McCarthy, Lewis Dunk, Harry Winks, and Fabian Delph as captain, giving the goalkeeper in question the second half. Jesse Lingard, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Callum Wilson scored in a 3-0 friendly victory for England.

Southgate called up many, many goalkeepers ranging from Jack Butland to Sam Johnstone, with McCarthy (still at Southampton; we checked) and his 45 minutes at Wembley our selection.

RB: Ainsley Maitland-Niles

It was between utility man Maitland-Niles and a 24-year-old James Justin, whose lone England cap came in a 2022 Nations League defeat to Hungary. No, not that one.

Maitland-Niles racked up five caps for the Three Lions and is now a million miles off returning to the international set-up. Nonetheless, he is doing just fine at Lyon after leaving Arsenal on a free transfer last summer.

AMN can play here, there and everywhere and Southgate took full advantage of that, using him in four different positions (full-back and wing-back on both sides). There were high hopes for Maitland-Niles and there could possibly have been a place for him in Mikel Arteta’s defence if the player was not keen to prove himself as a central midfielder.

CB: Michael Keane

Keane was a terrific asset at Burnley, who made around £24million from his sale to Everton in July 2017, four months after his England debut.

The former Republic of Ireland Under-19 international played plenty in 2018 and 2019 and appeared to be one of Southgate’s preferred centre-backs. He found himself out of favour in 2020 with Southgate rightly preferring Conor Coady, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Eric Dier and Kyle Walker, with Keane’s last call-up coming in November 2020.

His form for Everton has never been enough to earn back his spot in the England team and you would not be bold to assume he will not play for his country again.

CB: Phil Jagielka

From one Evertonian to another, Jagielka received his sole England cap under Southgate in a friendly against Spain in 2016, aged 34.

He made 40 senior international appearances in total and enjoyed a fantastic club career. We are definitely not knocking that. But a 34-year-old Jagielka playing for Southgate was a godsend for us.

LB: Aaron Cresswell

Cresswell made three appearances under Southgate, including one in a World Cup qualification match in Lithuania. That is an incredible achievement and one that no doubt made Mark Noble jealous.

The aforementioned Justin again gave the West Ham defender some competition.

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CM: Nathaniel Chalobah

One of Southgate’s main men for the U21s, Chalobah – brother of Chelsea defender Trevoh – got injury time in a 3-2 Nations League win against Spain in October 2018 and that’s all she wrote in regards to his senior international career.

Playing at youth level is a lot more enjoyable anyway; he did so a whopping 97 times, including 40 for the U21s (24 under Southgate), making his debut at that level when he was only 17.

CM: Jack Cork

Currently a free agent, 35-year-old Cork – who represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London – got four minutes against Germany in a 2017 friendly, earning himself a lovely England cap. He was never called up again, which makes sense considering the options Southgate had at his disposal in midfield.

CM: Jake Livermore

Southgate’s willingness to experiment drew criticism at Euro 2024 but is helping us massively for this XI. Also a free agent, Livermore has seven England caps having impressed at Tottenham as a youngster, achieving his international debut at 22 having not played for any of England’s youth teams.

That 2012 debut was his only England appearance until Southgate played him in a different 2017 Germany friendly. Livermore would go on to play three World Cup qualification games – with appropriate levels of opprobrium from England fans each time – but never went to a major tournament.

RW: Andros Townsend

Three goals in 13 caps for your country is a handy return, especially considering Phil Foden has four in 41, so Townsend is another we are absolutely not dismissing as an England footballer. He earned his England caps, the first of which came via Roy Hodgson in 2013.

Townsend was in and out of the squad under Hodgson and didn’t go to Euro 2016, earning minutes against Slovenia in Southgate’s second match in charge and again in the aforementioned Spain friendly four days later. And then he was discarded as a relic of the last era.

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LW: Nathan Redmond

There were a few contenders for the wing positions and we have spared Harvey Barnes and his one cap, as well as Callum Hudson-Odoi, and instead plumped for Townsend and Redmond.

Redmond – now 30 and at Burnley – was a big prospect during the early days of his career at Birmingham City and looked destined to play for his country. As you probably don’t remember but definitely know is true due to his inclusion in this article, he did just that, a grand total of one time. Still, it’s one more than millions of others, and myself, who as a Scotsman is embarrassed to remain uncapped.

ST: Patrick Bamford

There was a lot of England Clamour for Bamford when he was flying for Leeds United, receiving his only England cap in September 2021 after missing out on the European Championship squad.

He started up front against Andorra but was unable to find the back of the net against the minnows to officially make himself a one-cap wonder. There were two substitute spots sandwiched in between, getting splinters on his backside as his England team-mates defeated Hungary and drew with Poland.

That 2021 cap will likely be Bamford’s greatest achievement – and it is some achievement – with his career peaking at that moment. Since then, his scoring touch has eluded him one too many times with injury troubles massively affecting his time at Elland Road.

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