Gareth Southgate admitted to making a mistake regarding Euro 2024 after an Arsenal player’s ’embarrassing’ season.
Gareth Southgate has faced criticism for including Aaron Ramsdale in the Euro 2024 squad following the goalkeeper’s “embarrassing” season at Arsenal.
Despite making only ten starts last season, Ramsdale traveled to Germany on Monday as part of England’s 26-man squad for Euro 2024.
Ramsdale had been Mikel Arteta’s first-choice goalkeeper for two consecutive seasons after his £30m transfer from Sheffield United in 2021, playing a key role in Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge in the 2022-23 season.
Although the 26-year-old performed well at the Emirates Stadium, Arteta decided to bring in David Raya from Brentford last summer, making him the new first-choice goalkeeper.
This decision significantly reduced Ramsdale’s playing time last season and has likely hastened his potential departure from Arsenal, with Newcastle United showing interest.
Despite his frustrating and inactive season in North London, Ramsdale was named in England’s final Euros squad alongside Southgate’s top choice, Jordan Pickford, and backup Dean Henderson.
Unless an injury sidelines Everton’s Pickford, Ramsdale is not expected to play in Germany, but Emmanuel Petit still considers selecting him a mistake.
Speaking to former England striker Emile Heskey for Gambling.com, Petit questioned Ramsdale’s inclusion: “How can you pick a player that didn’t play for the whole season?”
Heskey responded by suggesting Southgate is considering the overall quality of his options: “We had James Trafford playing, he’s a young under-21s player. Would you rather put someone like that in to be second or third choice, just to be around it? Because the reality is he’s not going to play, is he?”
Petit continued, expressing concern over Ramsdale’s mental resilience after a tough year: “I don’t have any worries about his quality but I worry about his mental strength, because he’s been through a very difficult year. It was sometimes very embarrassing to watch him on the bench. A goalkeeper is different from a player on the pitch. Mentally, they have to be very strong. After this season, I’m wondering if he’s fit to play a big competition like this – for example, if Pickford gets injured.”
England begins their Group C campaign against Serbia on Sunday night before facing Denmark and Slovenia.
The Three Lions are aiming to secure their first major trophy since 1966, and Petit is optimistic that Southgate’s team can end 58 years of disappointment in Germany. “I think this is the Euros for England,” he said. “They are going to win against France, and they are going to win the tournament.”