Sterling abandoned the World Cup due to a violent assault at his home but the coach does not rule him out
MADRID, 4 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The England coach, Gareth Southgate, was happy with “the progression” he sees in his young players and, also, with the “forcefulness” shown in the 3-0 defeat against Senegal to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Qatar, while regretting the family emergency suffered by Raheem Sterling.
“What I liked the most was the forcefulness of our execution, the way the team worked with and without the ball. Senegal put a lot of energy and pressed well. Our best chances came from stealing the ball, Henderson and Bellingham were very good there.” , he said in statements to ITV Sport after the match.
On the other hand, the English coach celebrated Harry Kane’s goal, the first of the World Cup, to end the runrún. “For him it means ending doubts. It is important for him and for us,” he said, before praising the work of Bellingham or Foden.
“We have super young players that we feel have had the opportunity at the right time. Jude, Phil, Saka, especially tonight, they are going in a great direction. The progression is phenomenal. The team played a great game, with mentality and attitude.” he added.
On the other hand, Southgate was asked about Sterling’s sudden departure from the concentration due to a personal problem, with confirmation in the English media that it was due to an assault on his home with armed robbers and his family inside.
“We have to wait to see what happens. The priority right now is the family. We support him in whatever he needs. He goes home and I don’t know what will happen. Right now he needs to be with them. I’m not going to put him under any pressure. Sometimes football is not the most important thing, the family comes first,” he said, without ruling out that the Chelsea striker could return to Qatar in the coming days.
Lastly, the ‘Three Lions’ coach referred to the powerful quarterfinal clash against France next Saturday. “They are an incredible team, they are having a great tournament and with great players. It is the game in which we have to find our highest possible level,” he concluded.