Stan Collymore wants Liverpool’s Gomez in the England team ahead of Stones

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Stan Collymore has discussed the merits of England’s central defensive options following the Nations League campaign last week.

In the Daily Mirror, Collymore wants to see Liverpool’s Joe Gomez given a chance ahead of Manchester City’s John Stones when the Euro 2020 qualification campaign restarts again in September.

He said: “John Stones made two dreadful errors against Holland. If Joe Gomez does well in pre-season or early next season then I’d love to see him get a chance alongside Harry Maguire in the qualifiers in September.

“Sooner rather than later, he’ll be pushing Stones for his place. Gomez perhaps isn’t the footballing centre-half that Stones is, but you know he’s not going to be trying Cruyff turns in his own box. He’s a good, solid, mobile, footballing defender who would work quite well alongside Maguire.”

There’s been such a marked difference in the way that Stones and Gomez have come to prominence. Gomez made a relatively low-profile £3.5 million (BBC) move to Anfield from Charlton in 2015 and was not thrust into the spotlight.

But Stones played Premier League for Everton where he was already splitting opinion before joining Manchester City on £100,000-a-week (Spotrac) in 2016.

In truth, the pair could quite easily play together for the Three Lions. If they are both starting every week for the best two teams in the country, then that could become the case.

Much will depend on Harry Maguire, who has become something of a cult hero, but is untested at Champions League level and also made mistakes himself against Holland.