Alan Shearer thinks Arsenal defender Ben White should be selected ahead of Harry Maguire when Gareth Southgate names his England squad for the World Cup.
Shearer fears that Southgate will select Maguire and start him in Qatar, which is likely to be the case because he is one of the manager’s most trusted players with good reason.
Alan Shearer’s preferred England squad for World Cup
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, Ben White, Conor Coady, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire, Eric Dier
Midfielders: Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, James Maddison, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse, Phil Foden, Mason Mount, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson
Forwards: Harry Kane, Callum Wilson, Marcus Rashford, Tammy Abraham, Raheem Sterling
The former England striker told The Athletic: “I think the way his defence is shaping up — or rather the opposite — is where he’ll be having trouble sleeping.
“It’s not just about questionable fitness – it’s about form, too. With Kyle Walker it’s fitness, with Harry Maguire it’s about form and a lack of game time – one start in the league for Manchester United since August.
“It’s form for Eric Dier, Luke Shaw, Trent Alexander-Arnold. Kieran Trippier must be one of the first defenders on the team sheet at the moment, while Ben White is full of belief at Arsenal, but there are some big calls to be made here.
“There are occasions when you can turn a blind eye to form heading into a tournament; I know that more than most.
“I hadn’t scored for England for a couple of years prior to Euro 96 and with really good players like Ian Wright, Les Ferdinand, Andy Cole, Robbie Fowler and Teddy Sheringham jostling for my place, there was a decent argument to leave me out.
“The counter-argument was the 31 league goals I scored in 35 appearances for Blackburn Rovers.
“Maguire has barely been playing, while his performance in England’s 3-3 draw with Germany in the Nations League draw back in September hardly inspired confidence.
“Picking him in your starting XI would represent a huge gamble, but the problem is that Maguire is not an isolated example.
“There is a wider feeling of rustiness and insecurity. I suspect Gareth will go with three at the back. I wouldn’t; I’d go with four.”
While the Manchester United defender is clearly out of favour with his club, Maguire tends to perform well for England and was a key part of their Euro 2020 side that reached the final.
However, White brings a bit more versatility to the table, as he can play at right-back as well as centre-back. I still don’t think that warrants a selection over one of the manager’s most trusted players.
Everyone is talking about how the top footballers are being asked to play extra matches. We have seen them show high levels of fatigue in recent weeks – but, at least for Maguire, he will be one of Southgate’s players that has not had to suffer with fixture congestion.
I hope Maguire has a good World Cup because pundits will be waiting for him to slip up.
