Gareth Southgate has taken note of Aston Villa’s impressive run with manager Steven Gerrard championing the cause of several players including young midfielder Jacob Ramsey for next week’s England squad announcement.
Southgate sent a fitness coach to Villa’s training ground last week to assess the condition of Gerrard’s players who have won their last three games, scoring nine goals and conceding none.
‘I’ll always respect what Gareth’s decision is. We’ve got players doing extremely well. I know they’ll be getting watched,’ said Gerrard, who won 114 caps for his country.
‘For a 20-year-old, JJ (Ramsey) has been a nice big surprise for us because his level is top.