Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 call surrounding Man Utd star dubbed ‘strange’ with squad now chosen

Jermaine Jenas has questioned Gareth Southgate's "strange" decision to leave Marcus Rashford out of his Euro 2024 squad.

The Manchester United forward's streak of four consecutive international tournaments with England was halted this month after he was excluded from Southgate's preliminary squad, following a season at his club that many have deemed subpar.

Despite Rashford's lacklustre performances for the Red Devils, there was still an expectation from some quarters that he would retain his spot in the Three Lions' lineup for the tournament, given his significance during Southgate's tenure, reports the Mirror.

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Former England player Jenas is among those who have voiced their surprise at the decision. However, he confessed that Rashford's absence wasn't entirely unexpected.

The Match of the Day analyst pointed out that Rashford seems to have been afforded less grace regarding his form than his Manchester United colleagues Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire. The former is set to travel to Germany for the tournament, while the latter was axed by Southgate earlier this week.

Jenas, via Mirror Sport, remarked: "I mean, all you've got to do is look at Luke Shaw, whether he just doesn't rely or like Ben Chilwell, I don't know, but he's picking Luke Shaw on the basis of what I don't know. They obviously feel they can rely on him in that capacity.

"So I think he's given the same kind of leniency towards Harry Maguire at times. Earlier on in the year when he was struggling with his form and he's done well for England. Jordan Pickford has