Angel Gomes one of four new faces in Carsley’s first England squad

Lee Carsley has mapped out a bold new vision for England with the shock call-up of Angel Gomes designed to help bring the midfield control lacking in recent tournament disappointments.
Carsley had said he would use his spell as interim manager to put his own stamp on the senior squad and proved as good as his word with Gomes, Noni Madueke, Morgan Gibbs-White and Tino Livramento all fresh faces ­included for next month’s Nations League games.
There were also recalls for Jack ­Grealish and Harry Maguire, who had been overlooked by former manager Gareth Southgate for the European Championship in the summer when England lost 2-1 in the final to Spain.
Despite that narrow scoreline, England were largely overwhelmed in the Berlin showpiece, managing only 34 per cent possession, and Carsley hopes he can remedy what has been a persistent fault with the elevation of Gomes, the 23-year-old Lille midfielder formerly of Manchester United.
Gomes, who started training at United aged six and moved to Lille at 20, was integral to the England Under-21 side which won the European Championship against Spain in 2023 and which was coached by Carsley.
He played in midfield alongside a fellow No 6 and Carsley believes Gomes can help England exert more authority in matches, something they have struggled to do at recent major tournaments and must improve on if they are to end their long wait for silverware.
“Angel is someone who does it week-in, week-out for a team out in France,” Carsley said.
“He is probably different to what we’ve seen in the past in terms of the central midfielder that is a little bit more physical, more robust.
“Angel is very technical, he controls the game with his skill and technique. He is very determined, has an excellent attitude, loves football and technically and tactically he is excellent. I think he is a player people will be really excited to see.
“I’m not sure why he’s not been included previously. I wouldn’t know. I know that the senior staff have watched him and how impressed they were with him from the summer he had with us.
“I think he’s playing in a really competitive, physical league. I was lucky enough to go to the game where they played PSG in Paris [Lille lost 4-3 to a 95th-minute Lionel Messi free kick] and he was by far the best player on the pitch. Against a top team.
“To see him do that in that environment gave me real confidence that he could do that for us. This was just before the [Under-21] Euros.
“They had such high hopes for him at Manchester United. He’s just had to find a different route to get to where he is. It will be good to see him this season, especially playing in the Champions League. I expect him to go from strength to strength.”
Carsley has stepped up from the Under-21 side following Southgate’s resignation in the summer and will take charge of the games against Ireland, the country he represented as a player, in Dublin on September 7 and Finland at Wembley three days later.
The likelihood is that he will remain in charge for four more matches across October and November as the FA conducts its search for Southgate’s permanent successor.
A strong set of results would boost the 50-year-old’s own prospects of the top job, although he repeatedly stressed he has not thought about that when pressed on whether he wanted to be in charge long-term.
Instead, he discussed how “playing to players’ strengths” was a key tranche of his philosophy and tackled the long-standing issue of how England must improve on the ball.
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“Going back to the Under-21 final that we had, we played against Spain and I didn’t think we had control — but we won the game,” he said.
“There’s nothing worse than being stood on the sidelines and thinking: ‘We’re out of control here. We can’t get the ball back and when we do get the ball back we can’t keep it.’
“That’s definitely something we need to be better at. We did it for the majority of the tournament and then, in the final, I’d say it was maybe 60-40.
“If we’re going to win a Euros and win a World Cup [at senior level], we have to push it further forward. I don’t think it’s just a senior issue.
“It’s a bit of a confidence issue from us. It’s about, in the biggest moments and the biggest games, having the players that are capable of taking the ball and playing — and playing in the right areas and understanding what the opposition are doing and how the game has changed.
“I think we’ve got a lot of players now within the pathway that are used to coming away to St George’s Park and are used to winning. We’ve got two or three World Cup winners [at youth level] within this squad.
“Lads that have won the Euros at under-19s and under-21s and are used to winning in an England shirt. That goes a long way. The control thing is definitely something we need to be better at.”
The inclusion of Gomes, Chelsea attacker Madueke, who scored a hat-trick against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, Livramento, the Newcastle United full back, and Nottingham Forest’s Gibbs-White should give the “camp an injection of enthusiasm and energy”.
“Was Angel surprised? It would be fair to say he was emotional,” Carsley said. “As were all of the lads coming in for the first time. It’s a big thing.
“I was asked: ‘Has my life changed?’ That bit did hit home. When you are telling someone that — how much it means to them. I always remember getting my first call-up for Ireland. It’s a big thing and to have the big responsibility to do that for someone is a big thing.
“The opposite is that you have to let someone down. Angel getting that call is a big moment and he really deserves it. He is a really good player and I think you will like him.”
Carsley confirmed he sees Trent Alexander-Arnold as a right back with Kieran Trippier having announced his international retirement after 54 caps. Kyle Walker was left out of the 26-man party as he has not played for Manchester City so far this season, but was told he still has a big part to play for the national team.
Marcus Rashford and James Maddison were again overlooked, while Ivan Toney, Adam Wharton, Aaron Ramsdale, Joe Gomez and Lewis Dunk were cut from the squad that went to Euro 2024.
Wharton will be selected by the under-21s while Harry Kane will continue as England captain.
Republic of Ireland v EnglandAviva StadiumSaturday, September 7. Kick-off 5pmTV ITV1
England v FinlandWembleyTuesday, September 10. Kick-off 7.45pmTV ITV1