Gareth Southgate wants England players to play for their club... until he doesn't.
On numerous occasions during his tenure the Three Lions boss has justified squad selections and omissions by highlighting how few minutes certain players are getting at club level. It makes sense ultimately, any player, no matter their history or stature, needs regular outings to remain sharp.
Yet, just two months out from a World Cup, Southgate is willing and happy to pick defenders who are battling for their starting berths at club level. The justification being that they have credit in the bank, as is the case with the likes of Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, who both started at Wembley on Monday night.
