Manchester City, for the longest time, have been seen as the best team in England.
Indeed, heading into this season, City had won four consecutive Premier League titles, and they boasted some of the very best players in the country.
City do still have some of the best players in England, but, after a poor season, many of these players’ stock has fallen.
Phil Foden has been underwhelming this term, Jack Grealish hasn’t been at his best, while Kyle Walker has even been shipped out to AC Milan.
The England squad was announced on Friday morning as Thomas Tuchel picked his team for the upcoming summer fixtures, and, after this announcement, something has happened at Man City for the first time in 20 years.
Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
No Manchester City players in the England squad for the first time since 2005
For the first time since October 2005, the England squad has been announced and there are no active Manchester City players involved.
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City have formed the backbone of the England squad for the longest time with the likes of Kyle Walker, John Stones, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish all being key players for the Three Lions.
Walker is still in the squad, but he’s currently at AC Milan, so no active City players are involved here.
There are some caveats here in that Phil Foden and John Stones are injured, but it is still notable that City are unrepresented in the England squad for the first time in nine years.
The England squad the last time there were no Manchester City players involved
Over the past 20 years, Manchester City have often had at least one representative in the England squad.
Be it David James, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joe Hart, Micah Richards, Gareth Barry, James Milner, Joleon Lescott or even Joey Barton at one point, England squads over the past 20 years have always included at least one Manchester City player.
The last time England selected a squad without a solitary City player was in October 2005, when the team looked like this.
The last England squad to involve zero Man City players
Goalkeepers Rob Green, Chris Kirkland, Paul Robinson
Defenders Luke Young, Stephen Warnock, John Terry, Phil Neville, Ledley King, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Jamie Carragher, Sol Campbell,
Midfielders David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Jermaine Jenas, Frank Lampard, Kieran Richardson, Shaun Wright-Phillips*, Alan Smith, Joe Cole
Forwards Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Darren Bent
*Shaun Wright-Phillips had joined Chelsea at this point
Since then, City have always had at least one player in the England squad, but that streak has now ended after Thomas Tuchel’s latest announcement.