NATHAN REDMOND IS a surprise inclusion in England’s squad for the upcoming Nations League finals.

The Southampton player has been linked with an Ireland call-up in recent months as he qualifies to represent Mick McCarthy’s team through his mother, though featuring for England in the upcoming competitive fixtures would render him ineligible for the Boys in Green.

Redmond already has won one England cap, though the fact that it was during a friendly against Germany meant he could potentially still have switched to the Republic.

“I’ve spoken to his agent”, McCarthy told The42 back in February, when asked about the possibility of Redmond declaring for Ireland. ”I’ve tried to meet up with him and it’s not been successful yet.

“He has already played with England, hasn’t he?

“I think he’s been playing well and he’s been having a good season so maybe he is still harbouring hopes he is going to be picked for them.” 

Harry Kane has also been included by manager Gareth Southgate for the games despite the Tottenham star currently recovering from injury.

Meanwhile, Ruben Loftus-Cheek misses out due to injury. Loftus-Cheek hurt his ankle playing for Chelsea in a friendly against New England Revolution in Boston and reportedly faces a long spell on the sidelines, ruling him out of the Europa League final against Arsenal.

Kane, though, has been deemed fit enough to be in the squad despite having been out of action for six weeks with his own ankle injury. The Tottenham striker is aiming to be fit to lead the line for Mauricio Pochettino’s side in the Champions League final against Liverpool on 1 June.

World Cup Golden Boot winner Kane is one of nine Spurs and Liverpool players included, with England playing Netherlands in the Nations League semi-final five days after the Madrid showpiece. Like Kane, Spurs team-mates Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier, Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Harry Winks, as well as Reds trio Jordan Henderson, Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold all face a quick turnaround to join the Three Lions in Portugal.

The 27-man squad named by Southgate sees a number of players return from missing March’s Euro 2020 qualifiers. Winks and Gomez were unavailable for the start of the qualifying campaign, while Jesse Lingard and Fabian Delph are also back.

With various players set to be involved in the FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League finals to come, the squad will come together at different times before a final 23 is named.

There is no place in the party for Manchester United’s Player of the Year Luke Shaw, with Ben Chilwell and Rose taking the left-back slots while Delph offers further cover in that position.  

England’s preliminary Nations League Finals squad in full: Jack Butland (Stoke City), Tom Heaton (Burnley), Jordan Pickford (Everton); Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Leicester City), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Michael Keane (Everton), Harry Maguire (Leicester City), Danny Rose (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Tottenham), Kyle Walker (Manchester City); Dele Alli (Tottenham), Ross Barkley (Chelsea), Fabian Delph (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Nathan Redmond (Southampton), Declan Rice (West Ham), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Harry Winks (Tottenham); Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Callum Wilson (AFC Bournemouth).

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