Southgate explains Kalvin Phillips England National team omission

England manager Gareth Southgate has unveiled his squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, with notable omissions including midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

Southgate expressed his hope of selecting Phillips for Euro 2024 but acknowledged that the midfielder’s recent performances haven’t warranted a call-up this month.

Phillips, 28, has faced challenges since joining West Ham on loan, with a difficult debut seeing him directly responsible for conceding a goal against Bournemouth and subsequently receiving a red card against Nottingham Forest.

Southgate said on Thursday: “I think he [Phillips] knows exactly what we think of him. I think we’ve shown that support.

“A good version of him is a good player for us. That’s why we’ve supported him like we have.

“We don’t have many players of that profile. Unfortunately, his form hasn’t been good enough.”

Furthermore, since his move to Manchester City, Phillips has seen limited playing time, featuring in only two Premier League starts over the past year and a half.