Newcastle United duo Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson remain in pole position to win places in Gareth Southgate's squad for next summer's European Championships.
Trippier was not involved for the 7-0 win over North Macedonia last night at Old Trafford but is an integral part of Southgate's squad and if fit and in form is likely to be involved should England continue their march towards Germany 2024. Wilson had a stint out of the England squad after the World Cup after a slight dip in form.
However, the Newcastle number 9 bounced back to win two caps against Malta and North Macedonia while also weighing in with a penalty on Friday night. Southgate hinted that it is the experience of both that could be crucial next summer.
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Southgate said last night: "There’s experience of big matches within the squad, and the more we can get of that next season, the better. They’re getting good experiences as a collective with us, but the experiences they can get with their clubs, on the biggest stages, are also important.
"We’ve always had moments where clubs have done well, but it’s then about how you match that in with England."
Trippier, Wilson and goalkeeper Nick Pope - who should be back for the autumn internationals - are all in contention for a squad place for a major tournament again. Southgate said: "The experiences they have together are more important, but you can’t downplay the importance of those big-game experiences with their clubs.
"We’ve got the Manchester City boys with us, and they’re coming to join up with us as European champions. They’re going to carry that into the camp as well.
"Now, they didn’t come like a load of big shots and say, ‘We’re European champions’, they got straight on to the training pitch, mucked in, supported the group from the side in Malta and then performed against Macedonia."
Newcastle players will be building up towards next summer's Euros with Champions League experience under their belt. Southagte underlined the importance of the big competitions.
The ex-Middlesbrough boss said: "Accumulating caps is one thing, but accumulating big-game experiences is another. The really pleasing thing is that we’ve got a lot of young players with a lot of caps, so it’s not as though this team is just this next summer and nothing else.
"We want it to be sustainable for England. We want to be challenging for as long as we can see.
"That’s also an important part of what we need to do. We have to keep bringing young players into the squad and give them a feel of what it means to play in this group and evolve the team as we go.
"There’s that competition now, and that drives the players. They’ll listen to what you say as a coach, but if there are other players in your position that you know are hunting you down and after your spot, then that drives your performance."
