In their search for fresh talent, the Scottish FA has discovered Newcastle United to be a possible gold mine for players who could soon be part of Gareth Southgate’s England team.
As assistant to the Tartan Army, former Magpies manager John Carver has never hidden his wish to see more English talent pledge their allegiance north of the border. The coach has been on the radio and television a lot lately, talking about how he might be able to convince some unconvinced international stars, especially from his own club.
“We need to investigate if someone has a Scottish relative. Then, it’s up to him, but we know that these are significant choices that will affect their future,” Carver stated this week. “I watch Newcastle more than anyone else, and that’s no secret. We know that they have a number of exceptional players who are eligible for Scotland but have never received a senior England cap.
However, which four Newcastle players are being pursued, and how likely is it that they will all decide to leave the team?
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It was only this week that Anthony Gordon became known as a possible target for Scotland; according to the Daily Record, Carver and manager Steve Clarke are eyeing him as the newest Toon star. Gordon’s eligibility to play for Scotland is based on his paternity.
Nonetheless, it would be extremely surprising to see Gordon leave England after playing for the country his whole youth career and excelling at the summer’s under-21 European Championship. When you combine that with the fact that his recent club performance has greatly increased external calls for a senior call-up, are Scotland already in a losing battle?
Gordon was finally brought up by Southgate last week when he attempted to explain away why the St James’ Park favorite hadn’t been selected for the Three Lions yet. The England manager told reporters, “That is an area of the pitch where we have probably got as much competition for places as anywhere.”
“Look at Jarrod Bowen, who has seven goals this season.”
As Gordon’s importance in the game grows, Southgate must act swiftly to ensure he doesn’t lose a top attacking prospect.
Tino Livramento made 32 youth appearances for England.
Carver has made several strong statements about Tino Livramento, but he hasn’t mentioned Gordon by name in his recent pleas. Another player who has made a significant impact since moving to Tyneside is the full-back, who can also rely on years of experience at the England youth level.
At the under-21 level, Lee Carsley is still calling for Livramento, and this week’s matches against Serbia and Northern Ireland are no exception. Southgate has also brought up the Newcastle player in recent weeks. Though he is currently ahead of Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Kyle Walker, and others in the pecking order, the 21-year-old is not under any pressure to decide after being discussed.
Simply put, I’m enjoying returning to regular training and playing. I still have a lot of time to make decisions, I’m content right now, and I’m still young. I haven’t seen anything, and I’m confident my agent would notify me if there was anything that was getting close to being very serious. Right now, I feel very young and content with my situation.
“I truly enjoy traveling with the team and have many friends in the Under-21s.” Our manager is fantastic; she followed up with me after I got hurt to make sure I was okay. Since I have experienced every age group here, I have a great deal of respect and affection for the England setup.
Elliot Anderson: 7 youth Scotland appearances & 1 youth England appearance
Since Clarke called him up for international duty in October of this season, Elliot Anderson’s choice was all but decided. But a few days later, the Newcastle Academy alumnus withdrew from the Scotland training group, uncertain about his decision regarding his international career.
Clarke stated in a statement last month: “He needs to make a significant choice regarding his foreign travel. Just give the boy some space and time to think things through before deciding.” “We liked him and we do like him,” Southgate continued. He’s a player who is performing incredibly well.
Among the four Newcastle players connected to Scotland, Anderson seems the most likely to move.
Harvey Barnes has played for England in 14 youth appearances and one senior appearance.
Even though Harvey Barnes has recently made senior appearances for England, he is reportedly thinking about moving to Scotland. The Newcastle forward scored his first goal for England in an international friendly against Wales in 2020, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute.
The possibility of moving to Scotland is still open because that wasn’t a competitive fixture, which was made possible by his grandparents once more. Given how far he has come, it seems that Barnes would be better off leaving England if he wanted to rejoin the national team.