Southgate has axed 8 players from first England XI including forgotten striker
Gareth Southgate has shown a love for continuity during his time as England manager, but he has also recognised the need to freshen things up from time to time.
As the Three Lions prepare to take on Malta and North Macedonia in their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers, plenty are anticipating a blend of youth and experience to take to the field. Southgate has a few notable names he trusts, but there are also some members of his earlier squads who are now nowhere to be seen.
Just three members of Southgate's first England XI - a 2-0 victory over Malta back in 2016 - are still involved. Ahead of another game against the same opposition, Mirror Football looks at what has become of those starters.
Joe Hart
England's keeper for their Euro 2016 exit still had the gloves for Southgate's first game in charge. He was still involved throughout the World Cup qualfiying campaign, but missed out on a spot in Russia after some high-profile errors.
The former Manchester City man was still a Premier League goalkeeper as recently as 2021, with West Ham, Burnley and Spurs all taking a chance. He is now enjoying regular first-team football with Celtic, but few - if any - have touted him for an international recall.
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Kyle Walker
One of the three survivors, Walker was still at Spurs in 2016. He joined Man City the following year, but would not play with Hart at the Etihad Stadium.
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Kyle Walker is one of three survivors from that 2016 side (Getty Images)
Six years on from his arrival, the right-back is still at City and has now racked up more than 250 appearances for the club. He is also one of the senior figures in Southgate's squad, and has very much suited the manager's occasional preference for a back five.
John Stones
The second survivor, and the second City player. Stones had joined Pep Guardiola's side just a few weeks before that Malta game, and remains there to this day.
Stones hasn't always been a first-choice for his club, but has really kicked on under Guardiola and was one of the stand-out stars in their treble-winning season. He also has more than 60 senior England caps, and scored a memorable double against Panama at the 2018 World Cup.
Gary Cahill
Gary Cahill played in the recent Soccer Aid game (PA)Stones' centre-back partner in 2016 was Chelsea stalwart Cahill. The ex-Bolton man spent seven years with the Blues, and retired in 2022 after spending time with Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.
His international career ended in 2018, with the defender stepping back from England duties not long after the World Cup. However, he was recently spotted in England colours during the 2023 edition of Soccer Aid.
Ryan Bertrand
A team-mate of Cahill's at Chelsea, Bertrand had left for Southampton by 2016. The left-back's form on the south coast earned him an international recall under Roy Hodgson, and he continued to feature after Southgate's appointment.
After several impressive years with Southampton, Bertrand moved to Leicester in 2021. His time with the Foxes has been beset by injury, though, with just four league appearances in two years before his release in the aftermath of relegation from the Premier League.
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Jordan Henderson
Jordan Henderson impressed in the Malta game (PA)Henderson was one of England's more impressive performers in the Malta game, which ended 2-0 after a pair of first-half goals from his team-mates. The Liverpool man had been an unused sub in the previous season's Europa League final, but would soon develop into a key player for the Reds under Jurgen Klopp.
The former Sunderland man has now seen more than a decade pass since his England debut, and he is still very much in the thick of things. The 32-year-old scored his third international goal during the World Cup, and completed the full 90 against Ukraine in March.
Dele Alli
One of England's two scorers against Malta, Dele was coming off an impressive season with Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham. The 2016-17 campaign was even more impressive, with a career-best 18 league goals, and he would score his third England goal at the 2018 World Cup.
Since Pochettino's Spurs exit, though, things have gone south. The midfielder left for Everton in January 2022 after struggling under multiple Tottenham managers, and his future is up in the air after a difficult loan spell with Besiktas.
Wayne Rooney
Rooney had moved into a deeper role for England by 2016, by which point his international career was approaching its end. He still captained the side in Southgate's first game, but would make just three further appearances under the new boss.
Wayne Rooney was nearing the end of his England career (AFP/Getty Images)The Everton academy product returned to his boyhood club in 2017 before making the switch to Major League Soccer. After ending his playing career with Derby County, he managed the club for a period before taking the reins at current employers D.C. United.
Theo Walcott
Walcott impressed for Arsenal in the 2016-17 season, but his time with England was nearing its end. Matches against Malta, Slovenia and Spain before the turn of the year were his first but also his last under Southgate.
The forward would end up leaving Arsenal for Everton in January 2018 before rejoining first club Southampton in 2020, initially on loan. Now 34, he left St Mary's following the club's relegation in 2023.
Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge was England's other scorer in the Malta game, following up his memorable winner against Wales at Euro 2016. The seven years since have been tough for the striker, though, with injury and other issues taking their toll.
Daniel Sturridge scored one of England's two goals (Getty Images)He stayed at Liverpool for their 2019 Champions League win, but was gone before the Premier League title success 12 months later. After spells in Turkey and Australia, the 33-year-old has been without a club for more than a year.
Jesse Lingard
While some members of England's team were nearing the end of their international careers, Lingard was just getting started. The then-Man Utd man, fresh off his winner in the FA Cup final, was making his senior debut for the Three Lions.
Lingard scored perhaps his best England goal at the 2018 World Cup, but hasn't featured under Southgate since 2021. A season with newly-ptomoted Nottingham Forest had its ups and downs, and the 30-year-old is now on the lookout for a new club.
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