Not playing for your club? Injured? Dead? Get on the plane, baby!
Phil Jones
Out of favour at Man United? Refuses to leave the club? Not played this season? Recently injured? Gaffe prone? Basically everything Southgate looks for in an England centre back!
Dele Alli
Southgate hasn’t forgotten Alli’s key role in the 2018 World Cup, which apparently overshadows all subsequent events in the midfielder’s career. Who better to turn things around in a tense quarter final battle? Just the kind of pressure the famously resilient Dele thrives on!
Nobby Stiles
No-one can argue with the England performances and iconic dancing of this gap-toothed legend. Even his death in 2020 was not enough to discourage Southgate from calling him up.
Jadon Sancho
Let’s face it, Southgate needs a scapegoat, and right now Sancho is the scape-G.O.A.T., in imperious flak-taking form at Man United and for the Three Lions. So why not bring him on again without a warmup 5 seconds before the final whistle? The resulting missed penalty should be enough to distract from at least some of the tactical incompetence.