World Cup 2018: Manchester United Maintain Record as Only Club to Provide Players for Every England Squad

Manchester United extended their record as the only club represented in every England football tournament squad as Gareth Southgate named his 2018 World Cup squad on Wednesday.

Phil Jones, Ashley Young, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford make up the Red Devils contingent in the 23-man party to travel to Russia and the club have been represented in every World Cup and European Championship England have appeared in, all the way back to Henry Cockburn and John Aston at the 1950 World Cup.

Their four inclusions this time around match the most players they have had in a squad – it is the seventh time in England’s last 10 tournaments they have achieved that mark.

Tottenham have the most players, five, in this year’s squad with England manager Southgate calling on full-backs Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose, midfielders Eric Dier and Dele Alli and striker Harry Kane.

Spurs, along with Liverpool, have had players in all but two England tournament squads. Spurs missed out in 2014 and Liverpool in 1986, while neither were represented back in 1954.

Liverpool are represented by Jordan Henderson and the uncapped Trent Alexander-Arnold this time around but see United nudge one ahead in overall selections, 66 to 65. Had playmaker Adam Lallana been fully fit this season it could have been different for the Reds.

They still hold the record for a single tournament with six inclusions – Glen Johnson, Steven Gerrard, Martin Kelly, Jordan Henderson, Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing at Euro 2012 and Ray Clemence, Phil Neal, Phil Thompson, David Johnson, Terry McDermott and Ray Kennedy in 1980.

The Premier League’s ‘big six’ provide 17 of the 23 players chosen by Southgate, with Kyle Walker, John Stones, Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph from champions Manchester City along with Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck and Chelsea defender Gary Cahill.

That is in line with the recent trend – the previous six tournaments saw an average of exactly 17, with a high water mark of 19 at the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2012 and a low of 15 with Spurs’ no-show in 2014. Arsenal in 2010 were the only other top club not represented in an England squad in that time.

Joe Hart’s absence means the three goalkeepers this time around come from outside the big six – Everton’s Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland of Stoke and Burnley surprise package Nick Pope. Leicester pair Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy and Crystal Palace midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek are the other exceptions.

Courtesy : INDEPENDENT
Photo : INDEPENDENT

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