Marcus Rashford’s former Manchester United teammate Phil Jones has spoken out about the winger’s England snub.
England played out a dismal 1-0 defeat to Iceland at Wembley on Friday night, just days before they were due to fly out to Germany for the European Championships.
Southgate has made some bold decisions when selecting his 26-man squad for the competition, choosing to drop the likes of Jack Grealish, James Maddison and Rashford.
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The latter’s absence from the side has been labelled by former United defender Jones as Southgate’s “biggest decision” ahead of the tournament.
Speaking to Ladbrokes 1-2-Free, Jones explained: "Rashford is the one I would identify as the biggest decision. It's a tough call, and I'm not saying it's the right or wrong call.
"I always think Marcus - even if he's not had the season he'd have liked - has the ability to do something special. I know him as a person, and as a player, and I think he could have certainly offered something, especially in games where we're struggling to break teams down.
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"You know, he's got that little bit of brilliance - that little bit of magic where he can just take it out of his feet, whip one in the top bin and win you the game.
“But, again, there are so many talented players to choose from - so there's always going to be someone who misses out, and unfortunately, it's him this year."
On the snub, Southgate explained last month: "With Marcus, I just feel that players in that area of the pitch have had better seasons, it's as simple as that."
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Topics: England, Marcus Rashford, Phil Jones, Gareth Southgate, Jack Grealish, Manchester United, Fan Reactions
Chris Byfield