Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison has been omitted from Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man squad for the upcoming European Championship in Germany, according to The Athletic.
The 27-year-old was initially named in Southgate’s provisional 33-man squad but has failed to convince the manager to take him to the tournament.
Southgate has until June 7 to announce his final squad, and the former Middlesbrough manager has opted for other options in midfield.
Maddison featured for 30 minutes in England’s recent friendly win against Bosnia and Herzegovina but failed to catch the eye.
The Tottenham maestro was never one of Southgate’s favourites. He went three years without selecting him for the Three Lions between 2019 and 2022.
Southgate included Maddison in the 2022 Qatar World Cup squad, but he didn’t give him any playing time in the tournament.
Maddison’s only start for England came in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine in March 2023. He has only won seven caps for his country, which is surprisingly low considering his talents.
Maddison joined Tottenham last summer and was a regular under manager Ange Postecoglou, tallying four goals and nine assists in his 28 Premier League appearances.
However, his campaign was disrupted by a three-month ankle injury sustained against Chelsea in November.
Southgate’s decision to axe him is another major blow which will add more friction to the already tense relationship between the manager and the player.
The England boss has received a major defensive boost ahead of Euro 2024, with Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw pushing to be fit for the tournament.
England will play their final warm-up match before the Euros on Friday when they host Iceland at Wembley Stadium.
Their Group C campaign kicks off against Serbia on June 16, followed by matches against Denmark and Slovenia on June 20 and 25.
