‘Surprised’ and ‘shocked’ Wayne Rooney can’t believe Ben Chilwell snubs

Speaking as a pundit for the BBC, Wayne Rooney has admitted his confusion over some of the decisions made by Gareth Southgate during (or shortly before) this summer’s Euros.

The former England striker said he was surprised by the call to leave Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell, despite a desperate lack of options to fit in his position:

“I was very surprised and really shocked that Ben Chilwell wasn’t picked – just for the balance of having a left-footed player,” Rooney said.

He plays for Chelsea and has played well for England in the past. He’s a good left-back – he’s also played in tournaments – so I was really surprised he wasn’t selected.

Too late for regrets

We agree that in hindsight, Southgate’s decisions at full-back seem disastrous. Shaw has yet to play a single minute and has only just returned to training. His alternative is right-footed Kieran Trippier, who has not had a great season and is not even playing on his natural side. England’s lack of attacking power on the left has been a real source of difficulty for the team.

Even a half-fit Chilwell (and after a strong end to the season he probably would have been fine) would have been a much better option for England than an out-of-position and out-of-form Trippier.

More stories about Ben Chilwell

Ultimately, Chilwell has had terrible luck with injuries – much like the story of his Chelsea career. After having to sit behind Shaw on the bench at Euro 2020, Chilwell was injured for the 2022 World Cup and then missed too much of this season to be considered by Southgate – although that is pretty clearly proving to be a mistake at this stage, but one we can understand given the limitations of a small squad in these competitions.