Gareth Southgate tells Leicester City players how to get into England squad ahead of World Cup

England manager Gareth Southgate has said that club form is a ‘factor’ in being selected for the Three Lions squad amid criticism for leaving out certain Leicester City players.

There were no City players called up to the squad for the current international break, despite both James Maddison and Harvey Barnes returning to form in recent months. Southgate’s decision not to give Maddison a first call-up since 2019, in particular, has led to criticism from fans.

Both Maddison and Barnes have just a single international cap while James Justin and Luke Thomas are said to have caught the eye of the England boss. And Southgate has hinted that continuing their good form could be key in earning themselves a place in the World Cup squad at the end of the year.

“In terms of selection that’s always a difficult conundrum because we have players who we know have performed well in an England shirt,” he said in his press conference. “There’s got to be some level of scrutiny on how people play with their clubs because that’s got to be a factor in it and then, not so much for this week, but who’s the opponent, who’s best suited to play against the opponent.

“So, it is a complicated thing and I know everybody has a view on who we should and shouldn’t be picking. In the end we need the best players possible playing at their best level to give ourselves the best chance of winning.”

Southgate also said that the position the players play could impact on their chance of getting into the squad. He Hinted that attacking players such as Maddison and Barnes have a harder task.

"Sometimes it depends on competition for positions,” he added. “We’ve left some forward players out who haven’t been in good form but there’s direct replacements,