Wayne Rooney has recently expressed his disapproval of Gareth Southgate's handling of Liverpool's Jarell Quansah over the past week
Wayne Rooney has recently expressed his disapproval of Gareth Southgate’s handling of Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah over the past week. When Southgate reduced his provisional 33-player squad for Euro 2024 to the final 26, Quansah was one of the seven players left out. Despite this, the 21-year-old remains on standby for the tournament in case additional defensive injuries occur and was even on the bench for last Friday’s defeat against Iceland, despite knowing he wouldn’t be going to Germany.
In an appearance on The Overlap, Rooney observed that Quansah appeared isolated from the rest of the team. He questioned Southgate’s choice to keep Quansah at Wembley instead of allowing him to go on holiday while remaining ready for a potential call-up.
Rooney remarked, “I think Gareth should have sent them all home, especially those who didn’t make the final squad. He kept Quansah there, and I noticed he seemed detached after the game. I was on the pitch doing TV work and saw every player walking around. As soon as the game ended, Quansah went straight inside. This created a divide.”
Rooney continued, “Quansah saw that no one got injured and likely went in to shower and leave, feeling out of place. Gareth should have told him to go home, be on standby for 24-48 hours in case of an injury, and otherwise enjoy his holiday.”
Southgate’s decision to include Quansah among the substitutes for the Iceland game, despite no intention of using him in the Euros, seemed odd. Quansah’s presence on the bench, yet not feeling part of the team, highlighted this peculiarity.
Despite the recent setback, Quansah’s progress has been remarkable. Having not debuted for Liverpool until last August, his rapid development suggests that his chance for a senior England cap is not far off.
You can watch Rooney’s remarks starting at the 12:39 mark on The Overlap YouTube channel.
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