Gareth Southgate’s dedication to England youth shows pathway to seniors is clearer than ever

Commitment to development | Southgate and assistant Steve Holland (right) attend U21s game just hours after England’s win in Montenegro
Dan Istitene/Getty Images

A few players in the England U21 ranks will have looked on with envy when Callum Hudson-Odoi was drafted into the senior squad during the international break. Watching his superb full debut in in Montenegro certainly will have felt bittersweet.

James Maddison and Phil Foden will have felt pangs of jealousy watching the Chelsea winger shine alongside Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and Harry Kane. There was, though, a reminder that the door is open to everyone during their friendly with Germany on Tuesday night, should they want to take their chance.

Having landed back from Montenegro in the early hours of Tuesday morning, England senior manager Gareth Southgate, his assistant manager Steve Holland - as well as striker Callum Wilson - headed straight for Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium to watch Aidy Boothroyd’s U21s in action.

The performance from the Young Lions was not quite what many of the near 11,000 crowd had hoped for. Nonetheless, despite seeing a 19-game unbeaten run brought to an end by Germany, there were positive signs .

Foden (below), touted for Southgate’s senior squad earlier this month, was England’s brightest talent. The Man City youngster drove the Three Lions forward, shrugged off German midfielders with ease. He could quite easily have been him turning Montenegrins inside-out on Monday night.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

“It is very encouraging to see Gareth, coming down so quickly [after Montenegro],” Tottenham’s Kyle Walker-Peters (below) told Standard Sport after the match.

“I think it goes to show that we do have an opportunity, all of us on the pitch to showcase ourselves to him and our staff. We know he comes, he comes to our club matches too. It is very encouraging.”

Photo: Naomi Baker/Getty Images
Naomi Baker/Getty Images

Seeing Southgate at England youth matches in no rarity, but he is the first England manager for some time to truly back up his interest with call-ups.

Indeed, five members of the final squad he named as manager at U21 level were involved in the most recent England squad, while the weight he places on performances for England, at any level, filters confidence and encourage down through the age groups.

Photo: REUTERS
REUTERS

And that’s why Hudson-Odoi’s (above) inclusion should be the latest, brightest, lightbulb moment for England’s generation in waiting.

The Chelsea winger is only the fifth player to make a full senior international debut before picking up a Premier League start in the past two decades.

Southgate selects on form, yes, but if you’re not getting the chance to show it at domestic level, he’ll be watching what players do in an England shirt for him and the U21s, and rewarding it. The faith showed in Chelsea’s 18-year-old winger, as well as perhaps Jordan Pickford and Barkley, vindicate that.

In Pictures | Montenegro vs England | 25/03/2019

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Southgate has brought a club atmosphere to the England camp, at each and every level players feel appreciated and part of one journey.

Some players will inevitably fall by the wayside, but for those ready and waiting to perform, the door remains open and the pathway is perhaps clearer than it has ever been.

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