Alan Shearer has named the England starting XI that he would select for the first game of this summer’s World Cup, with Jude Bellingham failing to make the cut.
Shearer, who scored 30 goals in 63 games for England during his playing career, has chosen his side to face Croatia in Arlington, near Dallas, on 17 June and opted for Morgan Rogers to pull the strings in the heart of midfield, rather than Bellingham.
The Aston Villa star has seemingly become England’s first-choice No 10 under Thomas Tuchel and impressed throughout the World Cup qualification campaign, while Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham has been battling a hamstring tear suffered in early February.
Alan Shearer’s England starting XI at the World Cup
Jordan Pickford; Reece James, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Lewis Hall; Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson; Morgan Rogers; Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon
In Shearer’s XI, Rogers would start ahead of a deeper-lying midfield pair of Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, who combined so impressively in big wins over Serbia, Latvia and Wales last autumn.
Tuchel this week stated that only striker and captain Harry Kane is currently producing the attacking output he would like, as the German bemoaned the club form of a number of his other players.
“I really love the quality of our players especially the offensive players but the numbers, the pure numbers of our players on the wing and wherever – except for Harry – are not the outstanding numbers we would normally expect,” Tuchel insisted.
“So what is the reason for that? Is it according to the league that the defenders are so strong that it’s difficult and it’s difficult to score and assist. I would love them to have more numbers, meaning Bukayo [Saka], Noni [Madueke], Ebs [Eberechi Eze], Anthony Gordon, even Cole Palmer, even Morgan Rogers. Not Jude [Bellingham] but Phil Foden. Who is producing, like Harry, these outstanding numbers? Who’s deciding [games]? It’s just a fact and tells me that we have to do it as a team.”
Despite concerns over his dipping form for Arsenal, Shearer pinpointed Bukayo Saka as a player who will be key for England this summer if they are to make a dent at the World Cup.
“Saka is going to be a big player for England,” Shearer told Betfair, while naming his starting England XI. “He hasn’t quite hit the heights of what we know he can do this season.
“I don’t think we can ever forget about and dismiss his numbers, goals and assists and all of that though, then he hasn’t been as hot as what he can be. But I guess if England are to be successful in the summer, he will play a huge part in that.”
Saka made Shearer’s XI, starting on the right of a front three with Kane and Anthony Gordon. Perhaps the pundit’s preference for Newcastle players shouldn’t come as a surprise, given his connection to the club, and another Magpie also starts at left-back with Lewis Hall preferred to Man City’s Nico O’Reilly.
“O’Reilly has played a lot of the season for Man City,” explained Shearer. “Obviously, Pep has played him in midfield as well as left-back in that Madrid game and got done for one goal.
“But all right, you made an error but so what? It’s great that we have two great youngsters who are vying for a spot in the team. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?
“They’ve both had really good seasons him and Lewis Hall. What a weekend O’Reilly had scoring two goals in the Carabao Cup final. There’s no doubt he’s a goal threat because of his size and stature but they’re two very, very good players going head-to-head for what could be a really important position.”
Shearer was also bullish on England’s chances of lifting the World Cup trophy, despite the presence of so many other top-class international teams.
“I believe England can win the World Cup,” he insisted. “When you look at our talent, when you look at the players fighting for positions, then yeah. If you go through the squad, then yeah, England have got a really, really good chance to win it.
“But then, so have France, so have Spain alongside others who will be thinking that they’re the same as well. France have got a huge amount of talent and Spain have got a ridiculous amount of talent as well. As have Portugal. They’ll all be seeing what we’re seeing and obviously clearly only one can win it, but we go into it with a real proper chance here.”
Alan Shearer’s England XI for opening World Cup game: Jordan Pickford; Reece James, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Lewis Hall; Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson; Morgan Rogers; Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon
