Harvey Elliott, a midfielder for Liverpool, has been put under pressure to earn a senior England call-up following Kobbie Mainoo’s elevation to Gareth Southgate’s team.
Following Kobbie Mainoo’s quick elevation, Harvey Elliott has received a challenge from Lee Carsley to consider himself for a senior England call-up.
The midfielder for Liverpool, who has been with the Under-21s during the March international break, scored twice in Friday’s 5-1 victory over the young Lions in Azerbaijan. On the other side, Mainoo, a top player for Manchester United who was originally called up to the Young Lions earlier this month, was promoted directly into Gareth Southgate’s senior team and made his debut for his country on Saturday against Brazil.
In addition to Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon, and Jarrad Branthwaite, further England Under-21 players Rico Lewis and James Trafford have also been elevated to Southgate’s squad ahead of their friendly against Belgium on Tuesday night.
The March international break had provided Southgate with the final chance to assess new players before of the event, with the European Championships in Germany approaching in the summer. However, Elliott has been in excellent form for Liverpool this season, with three goals and six assists in 41 games. This has many Reds fans surprised that the 20-year-old has not yet been recognized on the senior international team.
However, Carsley, the manager of the England Under-21 team, thinks Elliott may soon be given senior consideration if he continues to put on such performances.
He said, “I’m not sure (how close Harvey is),” prior to the Young Lions’ home European Championships qualifier against Luxembourg. “However, if he continues to play for Liverpool every week, contributing to their success and scoring goals, Afterward, he will frame himself.
“To force your way into the Euro squad is a big ask.” You’re always in with a shot if you’re performing at a very high level in the Premier League every week. Usually, you’re just one or two injuries away from being given the chance. The fact that they are competing is what matters most.
Elliott gained notoriety for donning an upside-down collar during the Under-21s’ victory over Azerbaijan. This collar covered the modified St. George’s flag, which has drawn strong criticism since Nike unveiled it last week.
realizes that the 20-year-old midfield player did not make a statement with his outfit choice since he was unaware of the media attention it had received until England staff members confronted him about it.
Additionally, Carsley would downplay the incident by pointing out that Elliott has historically turned up his collar when donning a shirt similar to this.
“No, (I haven’t discussed anything with him). You may turn them up if you’d like because the shirts now have collars, he explained. “I observed that Harvey, while on loan at Blackburn, had collars on his shirts.” That was all there was to it.
