Missed Opportunities: Data insights on five English players ignored in international call-ups – data analysis

Being called up to the England senior team for the first time is a day to remember for any player and can provide a platform for a player to become an important part of the national team. In the last few days, England manager Gareth Southgate announced his latest squad for upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium – both opponents that will provide a huge test for the Three Lions and will give the staff, players, and fans an idea of where exactly the team is at.

Any national team squad announcement these days comes with backlash, with fans wanting ‘X’ player to be involved while quizzing the inclusion of ‘Y’ player. There’s no pleasing everybody, and thinking otherwise is plain naivety. This particular squad announcement has brought about a few questions surrounding certain players, with Southgate defending his selection in recent press conferences.

This data analysis will look at five players that Southgate likely considered for involvement in the upcoming fixtures but ultimately decided against – five players who would likely come into the squad with little to complain about from the fans’ perspective. This analysis will discuss why Jack Butland, Ross Barkley, Kobbie Mainoo, Harvey Elliot, and Raheem Sterling all had good reason to expect inclusion, using various data and statistics to explain why they could make a positive contribution to Southgate’s tactics.

Jack Butland

One of the experienced names in this analysis but has hit some excellent form while playing for Scottish giants Rangers. While some may question the quality of his performance due to him not playing in the Premier League or one of the ‘big five’ leagues in Europe, his contribution of 17 clean sheets in 29 games cannot be understated or ignored. Of course, Butland would be considered a backup keeper in the England setup as nobody looks to be taking the number one spot from Everton keeper Jordan Pickford anytime soon, but Butland does have prior international experience as he collected nine caps between 2012-2018.

To gain a full grasp of Butland’s importance to Rangers, the graph above includes key goalkeeper statistics that go some way to showing his quality. As mentioned, he has kept an incredible 17 clean sheets in the league to date, which is higher than any other keeper in the Scottish Premiership by some distance. Additionally, he ranks above all but two keepers in the division for prevented goals, proving that when he is called upon, he is reliable. This kind of solid presence within the squad, along with his experience, could make Butland an ideal squad player.