England head coach Gareth Southgate has said he “wouldn’t imagine” that forward Raheem Sterling is “hugely enthusiastic” about him, following Sterling’s training ground bust up with Joe Gomez at St. Georges Park this past Monday.
After the incident with Gomez the Manchester City star was dropped by Southgate for England’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Montenegro this Thursday.
The altercation between the two England players stemmed from their confrontation on Sunday when Sterling faced his former club Liverpool at Anfield.
Another player who has worked closely with Sterling on international duty is Tottenham Hotspur left-back Danny Rose. Rose believes that the abuse the former Liverpool player received from the Anfield faithful could have been a factor behind Sterling’s behaviour on Sunday.
Via BBC Sport, Rose told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s probably the first time I have sat back and actually realised and took note of how much the Liverpool fans dislike him”.
See also: England ace reveals how Southgate, squad reacted to Sterling-Gomez bust-up
No matter what it may look like on the outside, Southgate insists that the players in his squad, including both Gomez and Sterling, are close. Speaking to the press today, the England boss told BBC Sport that the national team is “like a family. The important thing is for a family to communicate and work through problems”.
With Euro 2020 fast approaching and following on from a successful World Cup, the whole country will be hoping that all members of the Three Lions are closer than ever going forward.