Five Liverpool Players Named to England Euro 2016 Squad

With just two days to go until the Europa League final, Liverpool’s season isn’t over just yet. For most of the clubs in Europe’s big leagues, though, Sunday marked the end of another campaign. Juventus ran away in Italy, Barcelona defended their La Liga title, Bayern Munich did what was expected of them, and Leicester City did what nobody expected.

And so, with seasons ending around the continent, the attention for many turns to France and the 2016 Euros. That means the previously unnamed squads are starting to come out, including England’s, where Roy Hodgson has named five Liverpool players to his provisional side—including Jordan Henderson, who had been a slight fitness doubt for the Euros before returning from injury on Sunday.

He will be joined a rather expected quartet of Liverpool players in Nathaniel Clyne, James Milner, Adam Lallana, and Daniel Sturridge. If fit, all will be expected to play major roles for the Three Lions at the Euros, and England’s squad looks to be one with some potential. Aside, at least, from one potential problem. Namely that Wayne Rooney will be going along.

Rooney has struggled with form and fitness over the past few, and it appears the striker has entered into the same phase of his career as former England mainstays like Steven Gerrard and John Terry eventually did for both club and country. A phase where their name keeps them in the first choice eleven at a time when doing so does more damage than good for the team.

In the past, Hodgson has shown either unable or unwilling to deny Wayne Rooney’s siren call, and if he again constructs his squad around the Manchester United striker—and his chosen England captain—it could be a short and frustrating Euros for England, who are slight favourites in a Group B that includes the Russians, Slovaks, and Welsh.

In other Euro 2016 news of interest to Liverpool fans, defender Dejan Lovren has officially been left off the Croatia squad after publicly falling out with his national team manager.

The England Squad in full:

Goalkeeper: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Tom Heaton (Burnley)
Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Danny Rose (Tottenham), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham)
Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham), Ross Barkley (Everton), Fabian Delph (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Andros Townsend (Newcastle), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
Strikers: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester)