Former England international makes ridiculous, offensive Daniel Sturridge suggestion

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Danny Mills has just confirmed his reputation as an idiotic pundit, for us.

The former Leeds United and England (somehow) fullback reckons Roy Hodgson should drop Daniel Sturridge from his Euro 2016 squad for Manchester United teenager Marcus Rashford, he told BBC 5Live. 

“He [Rashford] hasn’t got that much less international experience than Jamie Vardy,” Mills began.

“Jamie Vardy’s only played a handful of games and he is certain to go.

“Michael Owen didn’t do too bad when he was inexperienced and went to a World Cup, did he? Young players? It doesn’t matter if they’re good enough. You could say he is not experienced enough to start for Manchester United, but he is and he is scoring great goals. He’s in great form.

“If you’re in great form why not take him as a substitute, over the likes of Sturridge or players like that? He’s in form and got good confidence. If you needed to change a game bring him off the bench with 15-20 minutes to go.”

While it may be beneficial for Liverpool long-term if Sturridge has a full pre-season and doesn’t go the Euros, these suggestions are farcical.

When he’s fit and firing, Sturridge is England’s best forward. Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane are enjoying fantastic seasons and will rightly head to France, but we’d argue Sturridge is more naturally talented than both.

He’s rapid, technically brilliant, has bags of skill and can finish. His movement is also clever, and as Harry Redknapp claimed two months back, he’s potentially England’s best player (via Standard).

“He is that good. In all honesty, he is probably England’s best player. He is a match-winner and sometimes he does things that you see only Lionel Messi and Neymar do,” the ex-Spurs boss said.

Rashford is a very, very talented young forward, but has not yet done anywhere near enough to suggest he’s ready for England, especially not at a major tournament.

The 18-year-old has six career goals in eleven matches. The season before Michael Owen went to World Cup 1998 he plundered 23 goals in one season, so Mills’s comparison is invalid – especially at the expense of a proven goalscorer such as Sturridge.

Despite his injuries, Sturridge has eight goals this term, but his 40 in 64 Premier League matches for Liverpool is a better goals:game record than any striker in Premier League history bar Sergio Aguero. So, at an international tournament where games will be swung by small details, it makes sense to have the most clinical Englishman in Premier League history available – especially considering he’s 26, has international experience and is fully fit.

We hope Mills has a word with himself.

 

 

 

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