England interim manager Lee Carsley has selected his 26-man squad for the Three Lions' first international games after their heartbreaking Euro 2024 loss against Spain back in July.
The squad has a much more youthful tone, given Carsley's experience in charge of the U20s and U21s before being given the interim manager title.
Gareth Southgate announced the end to his eight-year tenure at the helm of the national team, admitting he 'had given it his all, but it's time for a change and for a new chapter' after the tournament in Germany over the summer.
Angel Gomes, Morgan Gibbs-White and Tino Livramento are some of the main surprises, while the omission of Aaron Ramsdale, Lewis Dunk and others were expected.
Having been relegated to 'League B' of the Nations League, England will first make the short trip to Dublin on September 7 to play Ireland before playing in front of a home crowd at Wembley Stadium on September 10.
The squad:
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 (Atletico Madrid), 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)
Grealish is back in action
Despite falling out of favour in Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side, Carsley's inclusion of Grealish means that the former Brentford and Birmingham City coach remains interested in what he can offer to the side, after being overlooked for the Euros squad.
The Manchester City winger was a surprise omission for the tournament, with many fans criticising Southgate's decision, despite Grealish's lack of game time for the Premier League champions.
While this is still an issue, amidst rumours that clubs were interested in prising Grealish away from the Etihad this summer, the 28-year-old will be hoping to make a point to doubters in the friendlies against Ireland and Finland.
Six from Carsley's U21 stars
The reshuffle from Carsley was expected, given the interim manager's wealth of experience with the U20 and U21 setup. Six players from his U21 EURO-winning side, the team that went without conceding a single goal in the tournament, feature in his first England senior squad.
Among them are Chelsea defender Levi Colwill, midfielders Angel Gomes, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White and wingers Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke.
The surprising inclusions of Gomes and Gibbs-White, two playmakers who haven't made the step up to the senior squad yet, show how much trust Carsley has shown towards the midfielders that rewarded him with the EUROs accomplishment in July 2023.
Gomes, now aged 23, moved away from Manchester United to join Lille in search of more match experience. The midfielder spent a season on loan at Portuguese outfit Boavista finding his feet before breaking into the first team for Les Dogues.
Gibbs-White has become the talisman for Nottingham Forest after former England U17 boss Steve Cooper made him the main signing in 2022, splashing up to £42 million to bring him over to the City Ground for their first campaign back in the Premier League.
Since then, the 24-year-old has shone for Forest, pitching in with 15 goal contributions last season and also taking the captain's armband on the pitch this season.
White remains the subject
After it was revealed that Ben White left the England camp in Qatar following a dispute with Gareth Southgate's assistant Steve Holland, many expected the Arsenal full-back to be back in contention with a new manager in charge.
However, after news broke out on Wednesday night, White remains focused on club football, electing not to make himself available for the Nations League fixtures.
England have struggled to find a working solution, with Kyle Walker out and discussions over whether Trent Alexander-Arnold is best used in that position.
The 26-year-old has been a key part of Mikel Arteta's impressive Arsenal side and would fill the void perfectly, however it is his decision that he will not be a part of the squad.
Other omissions include his teammate Aaron Ramsdale, who due to a lack of game time has been overlooked, albeit rumours circulating suggest a move to Southampton is imminent for that reason.
Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers has put up an argument to be selected, although it may come too soon and October's games could be perfect if the 22-year-old continues to impress for the Villains.
