Simon Jordan, a renowned TalkSPORT pundit, recently shared his thoughts on Raheem Sterling's exclusion from Gareth Southgate's England squad. In his Daily Mail column, Jordan expressed his confusion over the fuss surrounding Sterling's omission, arguing that England 'don't need' Sterling at the moment.
Jordan's argument is based on Sterling's recent performances for Chelsea. He stated:
'He’s been pretty bang-average for Chelsea. OK, he’s had a few decent games in recent weeks but I haven’t seen a series of hugely impressive performances from him that mean he demands inclusion.'
The pundit also raised the question of who would miss out if Sterling were included in the squad. He suggested that it could be Sterling's club teammate, Cole Palmer, who has been impressive for Chelsea. Jordan believes that Southgate made the right call by picking players based on their current form.
'Experience and understanding' important for young players
Jordan also highlighted the importance of giving young players like Palmer the chance to gain experience and understanding of international football. He commented:
'England are playing Malta and North Macedonia and have already qualified for Euro 2024. Why wouldn’t you weaponise Palmer in terms of experience and understanding what international football is like?'
While acknowledging Sterling's abilities, Jordan emphasized that the player needs a consistent run of form to earn his place back in the squad. He continued:
'We know what Sterling can do but if he really wants to get back in, he needs a consistent run of form.'
Jordan also pointed out that England have been successful even without Sterling, citing their victories over Malta and North Macedonia, as well as Italy. He argued that Sterling's absence has not affected the team's performance.
'Inauspicious start' to life at Chelsea for Raheem Sterling
Finally, Jordan questioned the fuss over Sterling's exclusion, arguing that he wouldn't make it into England's strongest team ahead of players like Bukayo Saka or Jack Grealish.
Jordan said:
'Few would argue that Sterling has made anything other than an inauspicious start to life at Chelsea, so why the problem with Southgate picking on form?'
Simon Jordan's perspective on Raheem Sterling's exclusion from the England squad offers a fresh take on the matter, focusing on current form and the future of the team rather than past performances or reputation.
However, many experts believe that, with qualification wrapped up for The Three Lions, Sterling is being rested and will certainly be a part of Southgate's squad for Euro 2024 in Germany.
Fans will have to wait and see who gets into the England squad for the summer showcase next June.
