With the team having come so close to Euro 2024 glory just months ago, new England boss Lee Carsley might have been expected to keep it simple when naming his first senior Three Lions squad.
But the former Everton midfielder, who was given the interim head coach gig after Gareth Southgate waved goodbye this summer, mixed it up a bit with his selections. Welcome to the stage: Tino Livramento, Noni Madueke and Angel Gomes, a trio that may not have been on the tips of fans’ tongues when awaiting the announcement. They’ll be joining the rest of the squad to face the Republic of Ireland and Finland in the Nations League.
Could this shout be part of a long-term Carsley masterstroke?
"He's very honest and direct in his approach." 👊@agomes_47 on what it's like to work with our interim head coach Lee Carsley... pic.twitter.com/KM2zev84PfSeptember 4, 2024
If any of the three get on to the pitch for this Nations League double-header, it would represent their first senior England cap. In an age where dual nationality is commonplace and switching between national teams is easier than ever before, this could be important.
Players can switch allegiances if they have ancestral, birth or citizenship ties to a country other than their first nation, but FIFA rules dictate that they can only swap if they appeared no more than three times for their original country before the age of 21. In short, with Livramento, Madueke and Gomes all now 21 or older, a single appearance for England in these games would tie them to the Three Lions.
That’s significant because the trio all have access to play for other nations, despite all being born in London.
Aside from England, Livramento is eligible for Portugal through his father and Scotland through his mother, Madueke could turn out for Nigeria and Gomes can pick between Portugal and Angola.
Carsley, as Under-21s boss, has seen all three of these players pass through the youth ranks at St George Park and knows what they’re capable of. Could tying them down to England have been Carsley’s motivation?
Probably not.
Although it’s a welcome bonus to confirm them as definite options going forward, they all make their way to the England camp on merit, after putting together admirable seasons for their respective clubs. Midfield maestro Gomes has just come off the back of a 31-appearance season in Ligue 1 which saw him provide eight assists towards Lille’s respectable fourth-placed finish.
Back in the Premier League, Madueke has managed to truly breakthrough into a bulging Chelsea side and just last month netted a Cole Palmer-supplied hat-trick against Wolves. Livramento has done similar at Newcastle, becoming a regular feature of Eddie Howe’s backline despite his young years, and played a key role in the Magpies’ Champions League adventure last term.
All three have earned the attention they've received from Carsley, but it certainly won’t harm to have them available to call up in years to come.
