On Solanke's call-up…
Dom's a player I'm fully aware of having worked with him in the past. He was really close to being in the last squad and got injured just before selection. He did so well at Bournemouth and has taken that form into Spurs. He's got a lot of attributes I like, he's an extremely nice person and extremely talented.
On a return for Kyle Walker…
I said before the last squad announcement that he hadn't played for Man City but he's a player we're looking forward to having back. I've never worked with him but I know what he's done in the past with England and he's a player we think can help the young players as well.
On players who missed the cut…
There were a lot of players who were close to this squad. With the talent we have available, it would have been possible to pick a 40-man squad and justify having them all in. The challenge is making sure we pick a competitive squad and a squad that can win the two games.
It was a chance to look at other players. It's definitely nothing to do with form, it's just a case in this period of using the next two camps to experiment a little bit, look at other players, and the players who have been left out have all got a case to be in the squad. I thought it was a case of the last squad being fresh and feeling fresh, a lot of energy, and it was important that it wasn't a copy and paste. I want them to feel like they’ve earned their place in the squad. I've spoken to all of the players who aren’t involved and had good conversations with them. Ultimately people want to know where they stand long-term and I've made it clear that this is a short-term decision. I've seen every touch that players have had since our last game and we feel really well informed with the squad we've selected.
We're LIVE with Lee Carsley as the #ThreeLions interim head coach talks us through his squad for October! https://t.co/eFsQMBUAPK
— England (@England) October 3, 2024
On Harry Maguire's absence…
Harry is a player I've worked with in the past. He was very positive in the conversation we had. It was a case of talking about what my decision was and we've got some really good centre-backs who I want to see. I'm wary of taking away really experienced players who potentially won't play much. Harry's got a really important part to play going forward.
On his plans for left-back…
The ideal scenario is that you have a left-footed player who's comfortable on the ball but we've also got really gifted wide players so our width and our pace will mainly come from our wingers rather than our full-backs. We're lucky with Levi Colwill, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Rico Lewis as options.
On the importance of Harry Kane…
Harry is really important to us. He's a player who will always score goals. Sometimes with centre-forwards they're an easy target because they're the player you expect to deliver. He needs support and chances created for him. His goal record at Bayern is outstanding and I can only go off what I saw in the last camp, when he was outstanding in the goals that he scored, the way he conducted himself and the way he trained. He's in a good place.
On appointing Ashley Cole as a full-time coach…
Ashley was able to work at Everton and Birmingham while he was with the England Under-21s but I thought it best for him to have a full-time role now because of the number of players we need to get around and the importance of the role. I felt I needed a full-time assistant to take on some of the strains of the job.
On feedback from the world of football…
It's been really positive. People seem to be very complimentary about the team. I understand it's early days but people are very positive. The difference is that everyone has an opinion on the England team, which has been interesting. It's good and people are desperate for the team to do well. The ultimate aim is to win a major trophy.