No idea why Jack Grealish is not in the England squad, proclaims Wayne Rooney

Before the 2020/21 Premier League season kicks off, the players are off to play international games with the upcoming Nations League games taking priority. That has seen England head coach Gareth Southgate release his squad earlier this week and it caused aheated debate across the United Kingdom. That was mainly because Southgate’s final 24 man squad did not feature Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish as many expected the 24-year-old to feature.

The midfielder had a brilliant 2019/20 season and helped his boyhood club, almost singlehandedly at times, battle against relegation. That included a key goal on the final day that ensured that Villa would survive by one point but Southgate opted to pick Mason Mount and Phil Foden instead. It saw Wayne Rooney confess that he has “no idea” why Grealish is not in the squad and that it is shocking that the England boss opted not to pick him.

“It’s very surprising. The season he had he was outstanding. I’ve been there when I was a young player at Everton and the team probably weren’t to the standard I was. And I think that’s where Jack is at now – Aston Villa are not at the standard of the player he is,” Rooney told talkSPORT.

“I can’t work it out why’s he’s not in the squad – I have no idea. He should be in that squad. Even if he is just in the squad to train and you just bring him on for ten minutes to see his character and see how he reacts to it. It was shocking that he wasn’t in the squad.”