Gareth Southgate recently named his England squad for the upcoming World Cup starting later this month, with James Maddison a surprise inclusion.
Maddison has only made one appearance for his country, a surprise to many fans in England. The Leicester City midfielder has been in sensational form this season, but with Southgate often overlooking Maddison, it was a bit of a surprise to see him included in the World Cup squad.
With England able to select a 26-man squad for the World Cup, Southgate opted to include Maddison this time around, but former England international Stan Collymore believes Maddison would not have been selected if the squad had been slightly smaller. .
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“I don’t think there are any big surprises in this squad. Maddison and Wilson have been playing really well, I don’t think either of them would have made it if the team had only 23 players,” Collymore said, speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside.
With a 26-man squad allowed, Southgate has the option of including players who might offer England something slightly different, and Maddison is exactly that.
With many players struggling with injuries and fitness, Maddison may have more opportunities than expected at the upcoming World Cup and could end up becoming a key player as the tournament progresses, despite being one of those he was potentially on the verge of not making the squad.
