Gareth Southgate says he must accept criticism from the LGBT+ community after selecting Al Ettifaq midfielder Jordan Henderson in his England squad.
The road to next summer’s European Championship continues for the Three Lions with a qualifier against Ukraine in Poland on September 9, before playing a friendly in Scotland three days later.
Henderson, previously a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, has faced criticism for opting to leave Liverpool for the Saudi Pro League in the summer despite the country’s lack of LGBTQ+ rights.
Southgate said: “I think we are supportive of the community, a large number of the team and staff have either relatives or friends from that community.
“We have tried to be very supportive but I also accept members of the community felt let down. You have to live your life as you see fit, I can only speak on a personal level and what the team represents and I try to be accepting of all cultures and understanding of everyone in different positions.
“If there is a feeling we haven’t done enough we have to accept that position, but it is not intentional, but these are all very complex situations that we are trying to do our best to navigate.”
Southgate hinted it could prove difficult for Henderson to remain a permanent part of the England squad due to the different demands of his new league, but insisted “we’re picking a team for football reasons”.
He said: “We’ve watched every game, the key as we move forward is going to be the physical intensity of the league, because of the heat as well, whether that is going to allow him to perform at the level we need.
“Clearly the level of the league is changing all the time, lots of countries are going to have this issue. Portugal have got a few players there so I’m sure they are going to be playing international football still.
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Jordan Henderson admits the chance to work under former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard was a huge factor in his decision to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.
“We’ve got to assess where he’s going to sit in terms of our squad, and that can be against those other players. That’s not as easy when you’re not playing in Champions League games or the Premier League games.
“But as I’ve already discussed with a couple of other players in the squad, it’s not a straightforward decision on picking any of the positions when you name an England squad – there’s usually a lot made of a number of full-backs in the England squad.”
Southgate: Spain Women have had focus taken off World Cup win
Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales has faced calls to resign
There has been widespread criticism of Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales after he kissed Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips following their 1-0 World Cup final win over England eight days ago.
The regional presidents of the Spanish Football Association have requested the immediate resignation of Rubiales, but so far he has refused.
Southgate said: “I would say that when you’re a male in a leadership position, you’ve got a huge responsibility in terms of how you behave, in this instance a male interacting with females.
“My other thoughts would be with the Spanish team, because they played unbelievably well, deserve a huge amount of credit, as do our girls who had a brilliant tournament. It’s very sad for them that the focus is not on what they did on the pitch.”
Southgate: Sterling not happy over absence
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England manager Gareth Southgate revealed that Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling was unhappy with missing out on the England squad for the European Championship qualifier against Ukraine and friendly with Scotland.
Former Manchester United captain Harry Maguire and Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips are also included despite neither player having played a minute of club football this season.
Southgate said of Maguire’s inclusion: “We have lost a lot of experienced players with caps at centre-half, we are giving some less experienced players the opportunity to come into the squad but unfortunately it looks like Tyrone (Mings) is out for the season, (John) Stones is out for this camp, Eric Dier hasn’t been in the Tottenham squad.
“There is a space there and I think for these two games it is important we have some experience in that place of the pitch.”
But Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling misses out despite a strong start to the new season having scored twice in the Blues’ 3-0 win over Luton.
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Watch Raheem Sterling’s wonderful solo goal for Chelsea against Luton at Stamford Bridge.
The 28-year-old respects Southgate’s decision to leave him out of the squad and, in the meantime, will continue to focus on his domestic form at Stamford Bridge.
Southgate said the door was still open for Sterling to earn a way back into his thoughts but revealed he was unhappy with the omission.
He said: “He was not available for the last two and of course that has given other people the opportunity to play well and establish themselves in the group.
“It is a difficult call and Raheem isn’t particularly happy about it – I’m convinced he will have a good season at Chelsea, I’ve no doubt about that.”