TOM HEATON is shocked to be in Germany as England’s training goalkeeper – but is ready to push Gareth Southgate’s back three all the way at Euro 2024.
Manchester United’s third-choice goalkeeper last season, Heaton, 38, was part of England’s Euro 2016 squad, which saw them eliminated by Iceland.
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Heaton has three England caps, two of them under Gareth Southgate. He will work alongside Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale and Dean Henderson.
Heaton said: “It’s a really special feeling. Gareth called me a few weeks ago, pitched the idea and I jumped at the opportunity.
“Coming and being part of this, in another great championship, is an honor and a privilege.
“It’s different, but I think it’s just a different challenge for me. I came to support the boys, the goalkeepers, the outside defenders, push them in training, try to offer them a different perspective and support them in that way.
“Of course, I would love to play. I’m a football player who wants to play football matches, but that’s not the role. It’s a different function.
“But any opportunity to come and represent your country in some way. Like I said, it was an amazing phone call and it didn’t take me long to say yes.”
Heaton made his debut against Australia in 2016, although he was an unused substitute for Roy Hodgson on 16 occasions.
He added: “I sort of pre-dated Gareth, before he was England manager, and then I was there for a lot of his early years, so I saw him all the time, actually.
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“He kind of brought everyone together, so that’s how everything changed. I think it gave the guys a bit of freedom to go and perform.
“I think we’ve seen that over the last few years. We came close, there were some really good performances and there is a really good feeling for the England team at the moment.
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“Of course there is expectation because we have a good side, but you have to embrace that and I think you can see that at the moment.
“We have fantastic players, everyone is looking forward to pulling on the shirt and, of course, we will try to make this a success.”
Asked about the other goalkeepers, Heaton said: “As for Jordan, his performances have been absolutely excellent. Aaron, a young goalkeeper, has done exceptionally well in recent years. Deano the same.
“I obviously know them all very well individually and they all offer something slightly different, so I’m really pleased to be working with them. I hope I can support them in some way.”
Gareth Southgate will take the handbrake off at Euro 2024… because he has no choice
By Charlie Wyett
GARETH SOUTHGATE will have no choice but to take the handbrake off his England squad at Euro 2024.
The defensive crisis plaguing the Three Lions means that Germany’s only option, within reason, will be a direct attack.
Southgate has often been criticized for his safety-first approach – even though he points out that one has to go back to Walter Winterbottom’s teams of the 1950s to find an England manager with a better goalscoring record.
But with crock Harry Maguire left out, Luke Shaw not fit enough to start the tournament and John Stones having made just 12 Premier League appearances this season, this is not a defense you would bet your life on.
The last time England played a major tournament in Germany – the 2006 World Cup – the four defenders selected were Sol Campbell (68 caps), Rio Ferdinand (47), Jamie Carragher (25) and John Terry (24).
This time, when England depart on Monday, the quartet will be Lewis Dunk (six), Joe Gomez (14), Marc Guehi (ten) and Ezri Konsa (three).
That makes Southgate’s decision not to call up 49-cap Eric Dier to his provisional squad all the more strange – especially considering his strong end to the season at Bayern Munich.
The elder statesman in their defense – and the one who absolutely needs to stay fit – is Stones, with 71 caps.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
