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da aposte e ganhe： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Darren Bent believes Everton’s Michael Keane can consider himself fortunate to have started for England given the array of defensive talent in the country.
What did he say?
Keane has impressed for Everton this season, continuing where he left off at the end of the last campaign to ensure Marco Silva’s side are now one of the most difficult to break down.
His own improvement has been reflected in the Toffees’ defensive performance across his last ten Premier League games, with only six goals conceded in that period, despite coming up against some of the league’s best.
Gareth Southgate seems to be impressed with what Keane has to offer. He handed him his England debut in 2017 when playing for Burnley and in 2019 the 26-year-old has so far featured in three out of five Three Lions matches.
Bent, however, holds a sightly different viewpoint. He was surprised Keane got the call to start against Bulgaria when Joe Gomez was in the squad, whom he regards as England’s best defender.
When questioned if Keane is lucky to have started for England, Bent told Football Insider: “Yeah, there’s a few – obviously he got the nod, him and Maguire. You’ve got John Stones, Tyrone Mings was on the bench, Tarkowski wasn’t in the squad.
“At the moment England seem to be really strong in certain areas. There’s another one I forgot about, Gomez at Liverpool, who should be starting. I think he’s their best defender; strong, powerful.”
Earned his place on merit
With John Stones omitted from the squad, Michael Keane is the most experienced defender Southgate can call upon other than Harry Maguire.
The Everton player has more caps than Gomez or Mings, and more Premier League appearances under his belt, not to mention two clean sheets so far this season.
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Bent’s assessment is interesting given Keane’s positive performance against Bulgaria – as they only had four shots on Saturday – and he built-up a strong defensive partnership alongside Maguire.
However, moving forward it would be surprising if England’s back two remained with Maguire and Keane, as although they provide a strong physical presence and good ability on the ball. Their lack of pace would be a concern when playing against better opposition, with Gomez less likely to be exploited in that regard.
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