Madueke among surprise picks in England Nations League team

England interim boss Lee Carsley has named his first squad for two upcoming UEFA Nations League games, with Noni Madueke making most of the headlines for England.

The former England U21 manager was temporarily called into the role after Gareth Southgate stepped away from the team. Southgate was at the helm for nearly eight years but failed to deliver a trophy.

Carsley unsurprisingly selected many regular heavy hitters in his first England national team roster. Standouts such as Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Declan Rice were among the stars named in the squad. Nevertheless, the interim coach also made some interesting picks as well.

For instance, four players named in the squad have never earned a senior England cap before. Chelsea winger Noni Madueke headlines this particular list. The attacker has started the 2024/25 campaign on fire with the Blues. He has already managed to score four goals in just two total appearances.

Carsley previously coached new quartet with the U21 team

Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White, Lille’s Angel Gomes, and Newcastle defender Tino Livramento were also named in the team. Gibbs-White has become a breakout star since moving from Wolves to Forest in 2022. He racked up five goals and 10 assists in Premier League play last season. The midfielder also recently scored his first goal of the 2024/25 campaign.

Gomes previously began his professional career with Manchester United. The midfielder, however, moved on to French side Lille in the summer of 2020 and has not looked back. Able to play in multiple positions in the middle of the pitch, Gomes racked up 10 total assists in all competitions last season. Unfortunately, he has missed the last few Lille matches with a head injury.

Livramento, on the other hand, has become the regular starting right-back for the Magpies under manager Eddie Howe. The versatile star is also capable of playing a plethora of other positions as well. In fact, the youngster featured at left-back and even out on the wing during the most recent campaign. All four of these new players to be named in the England squad previously worked under Carsley with the U21 team.

Several Euro 2024 players cut from current England squad

With new players entering the fray, several players had to be removed from the England team. Ivan Toney, Aaron Ramsdale, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, and Adam Wharton were all excluded from the most recent team that competed at Euro 2024. Injured duo Luke Shaw and Jude Bellingham also missed out on Carsley’s first squad.

Kieran Trippier was not included in the team as well. The veteran defender officially announced his retirement from the Three Lions on Thursday. Arsenal defender Ben White continues to opt not to be selected for the national team after a feud with previous management.

England is next set to begin their 2024/25 Nations League schedule against the Republic of Ireland and Finland in September. The Three Lions will then go on to face Greece and Finland once again the following month.

Full England squad for September’s fixtures:

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle United).

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City).

Midfielders: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Angel Gomes (Lille), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal).

Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).

Don’t miss any upcoming games with our UEFA Nations League TV schedule.

Photo: IMAGO / Sportimage