Why isn’t Jack Grealish playing for England at Euro 2024? Manchester City star left behind by Gareth Southgate

Jack Grealish is not at Euro 2024, with the England winger instead having a free summer.

The Manchester City star failed to make Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad and is not playing in Germany.

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The former Aston Villa playmaker was part of the initial 33-man squad ahead of the tournament in Germany.

He even played in a friendly against Bosnia at St James’ Park and scored England’s second goal in a 3-0 victory, but he didn’t get on the plane.

Why is Grealish not at Euro 2024?

Southgate has made the decision to leave Grealish out of his final 26-man squad for the European Championship.

Grealish – who operates primarily as a left winger – has been usurped in the pecking order by England’s other options on the left, who have contributed to more goals throughout the season than Grealish.

Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon and Grealish’s Man City teammate Phil Foden have both reached double figures in goals and assists in all competitions, while Grealish has not scored in 2024.

Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze’s surge in form also played a part in Grealish’s omission.

Of course, the 28-year-old dealt with several injuries during the season, which limited his impact, and he missed his chance.

Speaking about his decision to rule out Grealish, Southgate said: “The fact is we have some players who have played extremely well all season in the Championship and we just think other players have had stronger seasons – particularly over the last six months or so.

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“We saw some fantastic performances the other night which underlined some of that, and in the offensive end of the pitch we are fortunate to have a lot of options and they are all slightly different.

“Jack (Grealish) would also have provided us with something different and that was a difficult decision.

“These are calls that we have made over and over again as a group of employees to try to be fair and try to use the right rationale.

“We stand by our decisions but recognize we could have taken a different route. The boys are great characters, fabulous teammates and great boys to work with.

“It’s sad to have to tell them this news.”

Grealish has yet to say anything publicly about his exclusion from the England squad, but former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic has claimed his omission is good news for his native Serbia.

Many of his England teammates were also surprised to see him left out, with one reportedly approaching Southgate over his absence.

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Despite this, Grealish will no doubt be watching and supporting England at the European Championship before preparing for the new season.

talkSPORT’s Gabby Agbonlahor believes it was a bad decision not to bring in Grealish after England’s labored performances at the Euros so far.

He said: “Looking at both games, we played Phil Foden on the left, not a left winger. You also have Jack Grealish’s tournament experience. We know he’s going to hire players.

“He’s going to want to get the ball, win fouls, get into tight positions and receive the ball on the half-turn. He is a natural left winger. He played there most of his career. Why would you leave him at home and put a new player, a No.10, on the left wing? It’s very strange to me.

Asked if he had spoken to Grealish, Agbonlahor added: “No, but he is obviously disappointed. He’s on vacation and rightly so, the players who weren’t called up are enjoying their summer.

“I’m sure he’ll be looking to start pre-season well, get back into the Man City team. He’ll think about it because he wants to go and play in the World Cup.

“He will be upset, but I’m sure he will support the team.”

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