
Gareth Southgate says Raheem Sterling’s England absence down to football reasons
Gareth Southgate insists Raheem Sterling and Ben White have been left out of another England squad purely due to football reasons, but claimed the door is not closed on either. Southgate named a 25-man group on Thursday for this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers with Malta and North Macedonia. John Stones was left out after he suffered an injury in Manchester City’s midweek win over Young Boys and Eddie Nketiah was also absent with an ankle knock, but Southgate declined the chance to recall 82-capped Sterling or Arsenal’s versatile defender White. Both players have failed to feature in an England squad since the World Cup, where White headed home early after the group stage and Sterling briefly left the camp after his family home had been burgled. Southgate said: “The door is 100 per cent open not only for Raheem but for other players. There’s no doubt about that. “We don’t need to know about his quality, his personality. He is a crucial part of why we’ve had the journey we’ve had over the last few years. “I can only repeat what I’ve said in the last few squad selection meetings. The team are playing really well. “We had an exceptional win against Italy last time around. Who do we leave out to put him in? It is as simple as that really. “He wasn’t available in March or June and the team started on a good run. We won in Italy for the first time in 60 years, the two performances in June were excellent, so we stuck with that group. “There is no question Raheem is looking dangerous for his club, he looks invigorated since the start of the season. I was hoping to call up Reece James, but he doesn't feel he is quite ready and I understand that Gareth Southgate “(But) that is an area of the pitch where we’ve probably got as much competition for places as anywhere. “You look and Jarrod Bowen has got seven goals this season already, Anthony Gordon is playing very well at Newcastle, Cole Palmer is starting to play well. It is just a change in landscape there.” White has played four times for England since his debut in 2021, but Southgate again pointed to the quality of personnel in the right-back area as a reason behind his continued absence. “I assume so,” Southgate replied when asked if White was available for selection. “Ben’s been very solid for Arsenal. He is a different profile of full-back. “He is a centre-back playing full-back really and obviously he’s doing a good job for his club, but he’s behind others. “We’ve got Kyle (Walker), Kieran (Trippier), we’ve got Trent (Alexander-Arnold), Reece James, so it is a position where we’ve got strength. “There are a couple of good young ones coming through and again we’re on a good run. The defence are playing well, so that’s where we’re at.” Chelsea captain James is fit again after a hamstring injury, but requested to be left out of the squad after it had been expected he would replace Stones. Southgate added: “I was hoping to call up Reece James, but he doesn’t feel he is quite ready and I understand that. “He’s had a long path back from a number of injuries and he’s cautious in that respect. I can understand why. “I am really disappointed for John. The quality of his play is outstanding. He’s having a difficult time injury-wise at the moment, so that’ a shame to see him out. “As you say, it gives other people an opportunity and we do need to know a little bit more about some of the players in that area of the pitch.” Meanwhile, Southgate paid tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton, who died last month and will be honoured in England’s home fixture with Malta next week. “I think he is respected around the world and clearly our greatest ever player when you think of not only the World Cup, but also winning the European Cup and everything he did at club level,” he reflected. “Very sad. We were fortunate to have met him a few times and incredibly humble, so yes our condolences with all his family but hopefully we get the chance to honour him at Wembley and it will be a celebration of life because he absolutely deserves that.” Read More Burnley’s Lyle Foster receiving specialist help for his mental wellbeing Gareth Southgate ‘not interested in just racking up games’ as England manager Ali Price joins Edinburgh on loan from Glasgow after input from Scotland How Manchester United managers have fared since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement England head to Indonesia inspired by Under-17 World Cup winner Phil Foden Los Angeles Angels appoint veteran former Texas Rangers boss Ron Washington
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Burnley’s Lyle Foster receiving specialist help for his mental wellbeing
Burnley striker Lyle Foster is receiving specialist care for his mental health. Foster has not played since Burnley’s 3-0 Premier League defeat at Brentford on October 21 and missed the Clarets’ last three games. A Burnley statement read: “On behalf of Lyle Foster and his family they have asked us to share with you an update on Lyle’s illness. “Recently, Lyle let us know that he continues to live with issues around his mental wellbeing and has reached out for help. “He is currently in the care of specialists – giving him the support and care he needs to help him back to full health. “With the love and support of his family and everyone at Burnley Football Club we will do all we can to provide everything he needs to get better. “We ask for your understanding and respect Lyle’s privacy around this matter and will not be making any more comment until further notice.” Foster signed a new five-year deal at Turf Moor last month, with boss Vincent Kompany saying the South African will become an “important” Premier League striker. The 23-year-old joined Burnley from Belgian club Westerlo in January and has adapted quickly to the Premier League following the Clarets’ promotion, scoring three goals in seven appearances. Read More Gareth Southgate says Raheem Sterling’s England absence down to football reasons Gareth Southgate ‘not interested in just racking up games’ as England manager Ali Price joins Edinburgh on loan from Glasgow after input from Scotland
1970-01-01 08:00

Komfo Anokye kola tree: Ghana outrage after 300-year-old tree felled
The famous tree dates back to 17th Century Ghana and was reportedly planted by a renowned priest.
1970-01-01 08:00

Fed’s Barkin, Bostic Say Full Impact of Rate Hikes to Come
Two Federal Reserve officials said the US economy still hasn’t felt the full effect of past interest-rate increases,
1970-01-01 08:00

The Census Bureau sees an older, more diverse America in 2100 in three immigration scenarios
The Census Bureau is predicting an older and more diverse America in the coming decades, along with other projections through the year 2100
1970-01-01 08:00

Koch Foods Settles Antitrust Claims Over Chicken Contracts With DOJ
Koch Foods Inc. reached an agreement with the Department of Justice to settle claims on anticompetitive practices in
1970-01-01 08:00

I Cannot Believe the Detroit Tigers Got Jason Benetti
The Detroit Tigers have signed Jason Benetti to a multi-year contract to provide play-by-play on television broadcasts, a shocking and profoundly awesome Hot St
1970-01-01 08:00

Azealia Banks attacks Troye Sivan with unprovoked homophobic rant after complimenting her
Azealia Banks has hit out at Troye Sivan in a homophobic rant on social media, all because Sivan complimented her song ‘212’. Sivan was speaking as part of an interview with Spotify when he was asked what his go-to “pre game banger” was, and he said he was a fan of Banks’s 2012 hit. It seemed like Sivan was paying a harmless compliment to the track, but Banks didn’t respond as you might have expected. Instead, she hit out at Sivan and said he didn’t have a “clue” about her experiences in the music industry. “This is these white kids’ weird way of apologizing for bandwagoning. Having no clue of the kind of shit happening to me behind the scenes in the industry,” she wrote. Banks wasn’t finished there either, writing: “I’m not impressed by any of these people (who I’ve never met in person nor had a conversation with me) not having the audacity to be as public and loud with their apology as they were with using their platform to cast judgment as if a singular me was an important social justice issue. “I would REALLY appreciate all of these f*ckin civilian ass bitches to stop mentioning me, stop dancing to my s**t in the club if you’re not going to treat me like a human and take back all the unfounded bullshit you all used ur platforms to perpetuate.” It’s far from the first time Banks has faced criticism after going on a rant on social media, but the slamming of Sivan seemingly came out of knowhere. Things really took a turn when she called him a “peadophile”, too. “And your a late condescending expired Twink anyway b**ch. We’ve been past 212,” Banks said in another post. “Trying ur hardest to old on to the f*cking weak ass pedophilia x incest aesthetic - perpetuating that underlying double standard that somehow pedophilia practicedamongst men is somehow okay… that fueled ur trash ass music in the first place.” She went on to say: “Give it up, puberty hit that ass and made u a doofy looking young man.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings
1970-01-01 08:00

Surgeons in New York announce world's first eye transplant
By Nancy Lapid Surgeons in New York have performed the first-ever whole-eye transplant in a human, they announced
1970-01-01 08:00

UK Prepares to Hike Wind Farm Prices as Developers Struggle
The UK government is preparing to offer significantly higher subsidies for new offshore wind farms to get the
1970-01-01 08:00

Siemens Energy Secures Provisional Guarantees Deal, Reuters Says
Siemens Energy AG has reached a provisional agreement with the German government and main shareholder Siemens AG to
1970-01-01 08:00

Kim Kardashian has 'put a bumper sticker on a Bentley' by getting matching tattoos with ex
After famously vowing to 'never put a bumper sticker on a Bentley', Kim Kardashian has revealed she got matching tattoos with ex-boyfriend, Pete Davidson, and the rest of the SNL cast. In a new episode of The Kardashians, Kim showed herself getting an inking inside her lip of an infinity symbol, that she got the night she hosted the live show. "This is how you celebrate SNL, with a little tattoo at 4:30 in the morning", she joked. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter
1970-01-01 08:00