Gareth Southgate admits Man Utd star Mason Greenwood rejected England call-up

Not long ago, Gareth Southgate declared one of his proudest achievements as England manager was to get to a point where NO player did not want to turn out for the national team.

Now, as he prepares to try and finalise a place at next year's World Cup, Southgate admits that two of the country's brightest young stars DECLINED to accept a call-up.

Jude Bellingham is back in the fold for the games against Albania and San Marino but, it transpires, decided not to make himself available for last month's qualifiers against Hungary and Andorra.

Greenwood, though, has put his very brief international career on hold until next year, despite playing well over a hundred games for Manchester United and scoring a host of important goals.

Mason Greenwood turned down the opportunity to feature for England later this month ( Image:

Eddie Keogh for The FA/REX/Shutterstock)

Southgate denies there is still fallout from the time, 14 months ago, when Greenwood, 20, was sent home in disgrace after breaking Covid rules in Iceland.

The England manager explained: "There is no suggestion that what happened before is affecting things … that is not the case. We have tried to pick him.

"But anything else really, it is right for him to speak because I might not be able to represent that in the fairest and most considered way.

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"I think I have given everybody an overview of how it is and where I have been fair is to say that he absolutely wants to play for England.

"He recognises that there is a bit of a journey and if he doesn't get it right and doesn't nail down the situation at the club, then maybe there isn't an England career anyway. So I think that is very much part of his thinking."

Bellingham, 18, wanted a physical rest last month and Southgate said he understood that reasoning.

But although Southgate said a young player's refusal to accept a call-up would not affect future opportunities, he sounded less impressed with Callum Hudson-Odoi's refusal to join up with the under-21s.

Southgate said: "Callum feels he would be best served staking a case for the team with Chelsea. I think he has a better chance of impressing us if he is with the Under-21s as well, frankly."

Other talking points surrounding Southgate's latest choices included the omission of Kieran Trippier and Fikayo Tomori.

But it is the absence of Greenwood - now acknowledged as one of the country's most natural finishers - that will continue to puzzle England fans.