In brief
A preview of what English football may have looked like if Sam Allardyce hadn’t been fired is provided by his initial England squad.
Three of the people Allardyce called up are still in Thomas Tuchel’s team.
In the end, one player would play for a different country.
Without Gareth Southgate leading the team for the most of the past ten years, it’s impossible to imagine what English football would have looked like. Whether he was adored or despised, the former Three Lions manager solidified his reputation as one of the greatest national team coaches in history by leading the club to two major championships and a World Cup semifinal. This was never supposed to happen, of course.
Less than three months into what he called his dream job, Sam Allardyce was fired due to a newspaper controversy, and Southgate was first offered the position on a temporary basis. He only played one game during that period, defeating Slovakia 1-0, and his team choice for that World Cup qualifying match can provide some insight into how things might have turned out under “Big Sam.”
Goalkeepers
Joe Hart, Fraser Forster, Tom Heaton
Allardyce has no Jordan Pickford in sight, despite the fact that his goalkeeping selections were among the best at the time. By 2016, Joe Hart had been England’s top player for a long time, and even though he didn’t have a great Euro performance before his new manager took over, he kept the gloves against Slovakia. After a stint with Celtic, he is now retired and has shifted his concentration to punditry.
Tom Heaton and Fraser Forster, who Lionel Messi previously called one of the best goalkeepers in the world, are still playing in the Premier League for a few major clubs, although they play smaller roles as Manchester United’s and Tottenham Hotspur’s second and third choices, respectively. After being pulled, Forster would actually miss out on the squad; Alex McCarthy of Southampton would take his spot.
Defenders Luke Shaw, Danny Rose, Phil Jagielka, John Stones, Chris Smalling, Gary Cahill, Nathaniel Clyne, and Kyle Walker
Only one of the eight defenders Allardyce called up is still considered by Thomas Tuchel, and that is Kyle Walker, who is now on loan from AC Milan and hasn’t even transferred to Manchester City at this stage of his career. Nevertheless, the German would have probably selected Luke Shaw and John Stones if they had been healthy, but the sheer volume of injuries they have sustained in recent months has limited their availability. They have played 23 games together so far in the 2024–25 season, with Stones appearing in 20 of those games.
One player who is still active but not participating is Nathaniel Clyne, who left Liverpool on a free transfer and has been at Crystal Palace for the past four and a half years. He has played more games for the club than any other team during his career, with 235 to his credit. Chris Smalling is the only other player currently playing. He left Manchester United for Roma before joining Al-Fayha in Saudi Arabia, where he had one of the worst debuts ever.
Last but not least are retired center-halfs Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill, who were swiftly replaced by players like Harry Maguire by the time the 2018 World Cup arrived.
Midfielders
Dele Alli, Michail Antonio, Eric Dier, Danny Drinkwater, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Wayne Rooney, Raheem Sterling, Theo Walcott
Then-England captain Wayne Rooney, who was in his last season at Manchester United and was demonstrating that he could play a more significant role on the pitch, was in charge of the engine room. Even though he is among the best players to have ever played for England, he has not been as successful as a manager and is currently unemployed. The only other retired football player included on the squad sheet is Danny Drinkwater, who left Leicester City to pursue a new career in construction due to his off-field issues.
The only current midfield player still playing for his country is Jordan Henderson, although the Barmy Army has criticised the Ajax player’s recent comeback. Raheem Sterling, who is regarded as Mikel Arteta’s worst signing for the Gunners, and Adam Lallana both continue to play in the Premier League for Southampton and Arsenal, respectively.
Although he has never achieved the same degree of success as the penalty that helped England win their historic shootout with Colombia in 2018, Eric Dier is still quite active for Bayern Munich. The once-highly-touted wonderkid was sent off during his Como 1907 debut, and since then, Dele Alli’s path to redemption has taken a bad turn.
The final midfield player chosen, Michail Antonio, switched allegiances to Jamaica and now plays for the ‘Reggae Boyz’ instead of the Three Lions. This is unbelievable. But after breaking his leg in a vehicle accident that almost killed him, the West Ham forward is unlikely to play for them anytime soon.
Attackers
Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge, Jamie Vardy
Harry Kane, who still bears that burden now, led the line in Allardyce’s assault. There will be a huge gap to fill when the England captain retires because he is one of the best number nines in the world, if not the best.
This was one of Daniel Sturridge’s last appearances in an England squad due to his injury problems in the latter part of his career. He currently works as a pundit, mostly for Sky Sports, and is retired. Under Ruud van Nistelrooy, the former Premier League winners appear set for relegation, while Jamie Vardy is still going strong at Leicester, but he will probably have to endure his second relegation in three seasons.
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