Gareth Southgate says he likes what he’s seen from Reiss Nelson, both during last year’s performances for Arsenal and this season at Hoffenheim, however, he’s warned the 18-year-old that there is fierce competition for a place in his senior England squad.
The young Gunners has taken Germany by storm, scoring five goals and grabbing an assist in ten appearances so far, an even better return than his best pal Jadon Sancho, who has also set tongues wagging with his performances for Borussia Dortmund.
While Sancho has been rewarded by Southgate with a second successive Three Lions call-up, Nelson will spend the upcoming Interlull with Aidy Boothroyd’s under-21s; for whom he impressed in October.
“We really like Reiss,” Southgate said on Thursday. “He came and trained with us in September.
“He is doing okay with Hoffenheim and we think that he and some other players in the Under-21s have got big futures.
“He always impressed me in the match time he got at Arsenal, he always had a really good impact whenever he played.
“I always liked his personality on the field and he is one of a number of attacking players who will push for places in the coming years, but he is not the only one and it is important we keep pushing him.
“I don’t want him to be thinking that he has just got to roll up and he’s the next one, because there is really good competition for places.
“Maddison and Mount won’t be there this time because of injury, but [Ryan] Sessegnon, [Demarai] Gray, [Dominic] Solanke and Phil Foden — you can go on.
“Then underneath that, you have got [Callum] Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White. There are some really exciting players coming through the system.”
Nelson will take on Italy and Denmark with England’s under-21s, while the senior squad, now without an Arsenal representative following Danny Welbeck’s horrible injury, will face the USA and Croatia.
Great England set up, the manager of the youth teams now in charge of the full England side. He’ll know all the players very well and there are a lot of potentially great players there, given their junior World Cup successes.
Looking forward to seeing England play, haven’t been that keen over the last few years.
Told my mates recently (all German, same as me) that England will be a force in 6-8 years.
Got some great talent coming through.
We envy you. Hell, even Kane is relatively young…
We may have some promising youngsters coming through but until England get a manager with motivational skills and a proper tactician then England will never be a force. Southgate is the wrong man who has no
Plan B and continues to choose players like Dier who are far removed from international class. Personally I have no confidence at all
i’m super happy Reiss is not all over the media as Jadon is, as there’s no risk it’ll hinder his developing, but still find it ridiculous that the latter is hyped so much and the former is not deemed similarly exciting. especially taking stats into consideration.
I like how he’s talking up “competition for places” while giving Rooney an utterly pointless testimonial. Not saying Reiss would have got Rooney’s place in the side for that match or anything – there’s plenty ahead of him in the pecking order – but it’s bloody daft that somebody isn’t getting valuable international experience in order to give Rooney an unnecessary extra cap.
Sorry, I know that’s more an England issue than an Arsenal one. It’s just so stupid though.
Agree – but I strongly suspect Southgate isn’t in control of that decision – I guess it’s reasuring to know that he has to do shit in his job that he doesn’t want to , like the rest of us!!
Rooney will probably come on for 10 minutes of a meaningless friendly. It’s a stretch to think this is going to impede anyone’s development.
It’s a terrible precedent. Are they going to start handing these to every Tom Dick and Harry just coz the didn’t get propa send off?
I don’t like Rooney, but he isn’t a Tom, Dick or Harry in an England context… He’s the record goalscorer. England don’t celebrate international careers like some countries do and I quite like this change – us and the media give constant stick throughout international careers then don’t celebrate them when they end. I also like the move of not giving young players caps until they’ve shown form over a longer period of time. There’s too many who’ve got a cap or two because they had a storming start nut then just go off the boil. I think patience is… Read more »
Gareth Southgate… Croydon CID
I’d love us to get him in the 1st team next year, for me Miki isn’t the answer and it would be great to have a homegrown solution – dare I say he may be LANS???
I like Gareth Southgate. We used to go to the same gym when I lived in Harrogate, and he was always a top geezer. He saw me do a double-take the first time I saw him and smiled and said hello. I could only respond with a weird little bow and say ‘Sir!’
He was always lovely to the staff and would talk to anyone who approached him. Not relevant at all to the article, but you hear about so many famous people who are cunts, and it’s nice to redress the balance.
With his promotion, I suppose you will now have to address him as “Your Grace”
Agreed, always nice to run into one of the good ones. I had a similar experience with Jamie carragher a few years back. Hated him as a player, but have to admit he was gracious and pleasant in person.
Fucken sick of hearing about Phill Foden. He has not done anything to get all this hype. Jack Wilshire was starting games at that age. Who was the last player Man City actually brought through the academy? Micah Richard’s?
Doing OK?
He’s got 5 goals in almost as many matches.
That’s more than Jadon as far as goals per match.
Southgate talking out of his arse.
He’s got 6 now
I have to give England’s youth development program credit. The crop of young talent coming up is not by accident. This reminds me of what France and Germany have done.
Nothing at all about what he says is unreasonable at all. I actually like it, he’s clearly trying to keep him grounded. It’s no different to what Emery would do. Last thing we want us another player gassed up to the gills by English media ala Jack who then spends almost the rest of his career battling to live up to public expectations and in the process damaging their career by making poor choices (like say, go on loan to Bournemouth). Gareth is being fair and astute. You can tell he’s intentionally trying to remove any potential English media hype… Read more »
Absolutely spot on.
Jack Wilshere problem was that instead of concentrating on football he chose having children and partying at a very young age and coupled with injuries he was doomed
Lol doing Ok with 5 goals in 6 games, what a bellend. Then quotes a bunch of other talents who are struggling to make an impact at senior level. Gareth Southgate – The thinking man’s idiot!
Southgate can go fuck himself