Ben Foster suggests bizarre reason why Jack Grealish will be snubbed for World Cup with England
Jack Grealish will stay put at Finch Farm over the international break, with the winger still not able to find a place in the England squad.
Thomas Tuchel again snubbed Grealish when he announced his England squad on Friday, with the Three Lions set for games against Wales and Latvia.
The winger’s disappointment did not appear to bleed into his game; however, the 30-year-old scoring the winner as Everton beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Sunday.
But with the World Cup rapidly approaching, the former Manchester City man will be concerned by the fact that, no matter what he does, Tuchel appears to ignore him.
It has been suggested that Grealish has not been good enough to make the England squad, but just a look at the winger’s numbers would dismiss such claims as nonsense.
Ben Foster makes Jack Grealish claim
Grealish was named Premier League player of the month for August, and the winger has only got better and better as the season has progressed.
The 30-year-old is the most fouled player in the league, leads in assists and expected assists (xA), and has created more chances than any other player.
Given the fact that the likes of Anthony Gordon, who is yet to provide either a goal or an assist in the Premier League, and Morgan Rogers, who has had an awful start to the season, are in the squad, Grealish can feel hard done by.
But Ben Foster has suggested that the reason why the winger has not made the squad, and will not for next year’s World Cup, actually has nothing to do with his form.
Speaking on his podcast, The Fozcast, on Monday, the former goalkeeper said: “I think it might be a bit too late for him, I do. I just think he’s probably, maybe, a little bit too old.
“For the manager, for what he’s trying to do and how he sees it, I just think the reason probably why he hasn’t been picked is because of his age. It’s got to be, what else can it be?”
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Foster’s reasoning lacks evidence
Only Tuchel can explain why Grealish has been left out of the England squad, but Foster’s explanation seems unlikely.
Among the players who did get selected by Tuchel were Ollie Watkins, Harry Kane, Jordan Henderson, Dan Burn, and John Stones.
| England players | Age |
| Jack Grealish | 30 |
| Ollie Watkins | 29 |
| Harry Kane | 32 |
| Jordan Henderson | 35 |
| Dan Burn | 33 |
| John Stones | 31 |
Save for Watkins, who is around four months younger than Grealish, every other player mentioned is the winger’s senior.
In the case of Kane, form would be an obvious explanation for the striker’s inclusion.
But going by Foster’s claim, there would surely be no place for the likes of Henderson and Burn, and especially Stones, who has played three minutes of Manchester City’s last four Premier League matches.
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