What happened in England training that made Gareth Southgate snub Jack Grealish from Euro 2024 squad
Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire have failed to make the England squad for Euro 2024
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On Thursday, Gareth Southgate confirmed his 26-man squad as England look to win Euro 2024 this summer.
And it then became official that Jack Grealish had failed to make the cut in one of the biggest omissions from the party that will be travelling to Germany later this month.
News had broken earlier in the day that the Manchester City star, who has been a regular in the squad in recent years, would be staying at home.
He, along with James Maddison, James Trafford, Curtis Jones, Jarell Quansah, Jarrad Branthwaite and Harry Maguire, will be watching on from home like the rest of us.
England news: Jack Grealish has been left out of the squad for Euro 2024
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Grealish had to be consoled after it was confirmed he wouldn't be part of this summer's big event.
While it wasn't entirely surprising - his form dipped for Manchester City last term amid an injury-plagued season - it was huge news nonetheless.
Grealish, unlike some of his team-mates, is yet to publicly react.
Maguire and Maddison have both released statements, with the pair admitting they're crushed at having to miss the European Championships.
Yet Grealish's last upload remains from Monday night. "Nothing better," he wrote on social media after England beat Bosnia 3-0 at St James' Park.
Fans have flooded the 28-year-old with messages of support in the time since.
England players have rallied round him, too, with one senior star even approaching Southgate in an attempt to understand the decision.
If it wasn't for Anthony Gordon, Grealish would have made it.
According to the Daily Mail, at training on Thursday, Southgate mulled things over.
He was apparently impressed by Grealish's cameo against Bosnia on Monday, with the City star coming off the bench to provide an assist for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The report says that, during Thursday's training session, Southgate waited to see if Gordon would emerge unscathed.
The Newcastle winger has been nursing an ankle injury.
Yet with Gordon indeed coming through the session, Southgate then made one of the toughest calls of his England career.
While there's no Grealish, it remains a strong squad. England have every right to be dreaming of Euro 2024 glory, having gone so close three years ago.
But whether Southgate has made the right decision is something only time will tell.
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The England boss, speaking at a press conference on Thursday, admitted he had been forced to make 'tough' calls.
"The fact is we've got some players who have been playing extremely well all season in the league and we just feel other players have had stronger seasons - particularly in the past six months or so," he said.
"We saw some fantastic performances the other night which underlined some of that and in the attacking area of the pitch we're blessed with a lot of options and they're all slightly different.
"[James Maddison] and Jack [Grealish] would have provided us with something different as well and they've been tough calls.
"They're calls we've gone over and over and over as a group of staff to try to be fair and to try to use the right rationale.
England news: Anthony Gordon proving his fitness in training resulted in Jack Grealish being dropped
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"We back our decisions but we recognise we could have gone a different route. The boys are big characters, fabulous team-mates and great boys to work with.
"It's sad to have to deliver that news to them."