Merson makes controversial Alexander-Arnold claim after brutal England snub

09 September 2023 , 15:44

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Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson have both made the England squad (Image: Getty Images)

Paul Merson fears James Ward-Prowse's England career is finished due to the questionable selections of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson.

Ward-Prowse, 28, was controversially left out of Gareth Southgate's squad for this month's games against Ukraine and Scotland. The West Ham midfielder has made a brilliant start to the Premier League campaign by scoring once and providing three assists.

Alexander-Arnold, 24, was selected to play in midfield ahead of Ward-Prowse, despite being a right-back by trade. Southgate rarely plays Alexander-Arnold in his primary position and prefers to play him in midfield, insisting he was "very happy with him" in June.

Henderson, 33, remains part of the England squad despite his move to Al-Ettifaq. Most fans accept the standard of football in the Saudi Pro League is far below that of the Premier League and have questioned why Henderson is anywhere near the squad.

As such, Merson believes there's little hope for Ward-Prowse if he can't even get picked ahead of Henderson. Writing in his column for Sky Sports, Merson claimed: "If you’re James Ward-Prowse, you’re thinking, 'I’m never playing for England'.

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"You’ve got someone (Henderson) who’s playing in the Saudi league in front of 6,000 people every week and then you’ve got Ward-Prowse, who’s playing very well for West Ham. He’s been one of the game changers but he doesn’t get a look in.

"It’s ridiculous. Alexander-Arnold is a defender. He played one game in midfield for England against Malta. I mean... Malta. I expect a professional footballer in the Premier League to be able to do well in midfield against Malta."

Merson has also questioned the inclusion of Kalvin Phillips, who has barely played since his move to Manchester City in the summer of 2022. The Arsenal legend added: "And what about Kalvin Phillips? He doesn’t play football. When I played, if Gazza (Paul Gascoigne) wasn’t playing, he wouldn’t get picked - and he was the best player by a million miles."

James Ward-Prowse has been snubbed by England (Getty Images)

Do you think Jordan Henderson should be selected by England? Let us know in the comments below!

Henderson will start against Ukraine, with Alexander-Arnold and Phillips on the bench. Southgate has been forced to defend his selections in the lead up to the game, especially the controversial inclusion of Henderson.

The former Liverpool captain was a vocal supporter of the LGBT+ community during his time at Anfield but opted to complete a move to Saudi Arabia, a country where homosexuality is illegal. Many members of the LGBT+ community feel betrayed by Henderson.

There could even be a protest if Henderson plays against Ukraine. Southgate said: "I think Jordan expressed himself this week that he would be sad if that's how they felt. His feeling towards that community hasn't changed.

"As a team, I'm sure all of our fans are going to get behind the team when the game starts. I understand some of the comments that have been made and I respect the comments that have been made, but what has also said is they will get behind the team when we play, and I'm sure they will get behind Jordan when the game starts as well."

Tom Blow