England centre-backs ‘not good enough’ to play in a pairing, says Gary Neville

Gareth Southgate must deploy three at the back due to the lack of quality available to him, said the former national team defender

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Former England defender Gary Neville has said the national team will never win a major tournament with the centre-backs available to manager Gareth Southgate.

England take on Wales in a friendly at Wembley Stadium this evening, ahead of Nations League fixtures against Belgium on Sunday and Denmark on Wednesday.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire is joined at centre-back in the England squad by Liverpool’s Joe Gomez, Everton’s Michael Keane, Wolves captain Conor Coady, Tottenham’s Eric Dier, and Tyrone Mings of Burnley.

Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker was also named in the squad and has previously played on the outside of a back three for England.

“I just don’t think that there is a centre-back partnership that is good enough to take Gareth where he wants to be, which is the final of a tournament and winning a tournament, at this moment in time,” Neville told Sky Sports.

“Whether it is Maguire and Gomez or Maguire and [John] Stones, I don’t think it would be good enough.” 

Neville suggested that the lack of quality might force Southgate to opt for a back three, a formation he deployed during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where England reached the semi-finals, and in the Three Lions’ last outing – a 0-0 draw against Denmark in the Nations League.

“I think it needs the stability of the three,” Neville said. “I think Kyle Walker comes into that, by the way, as one of the three potentially, because I think Trent Alexander-Arnold is the wing-back. 

“I think Walker can play there with his speed. I think [Ben] Chilwell can play on the left of a back three or potentially Stones.

“I do think with the players that [Southgate] has got, England are better with a three and that is why he has gone back to it. 

“I was surprised that he came off it after the World Cup. It was the one thing that [surprised me].”

England are second in their Nations League group on four points – two behind leaders Belgium. Denmark trail Southgate’s men with one point, while Iceland are bottom in the four-team group with zero points. All four League A sides have played two games in the competition so far.

Tonight’s opponents Wales, meanwhile, are top of their League B group on six points, ahead of second-placed Finland (three points), third Republic of Ireland (one point) and Bulgaria (one point). All four teams have played two games in the competition so far.