After the impressive 0-0 draw against Germany on Friday night, the England manager is already beginning to finalise his bold plans for a new-look young side capable of lifting the nation.
Angus Gunn, Lewis Cook and Dominic Solanke have all been called up from the Under-21 side for the game against Brazil tomorrow – a further slap in the face for established and fit stars such as Daniel Sturridge and Jack Wilshere, who have been told they need to be playing regularly in the Premier League to be considered for a call-up.
FIFA do not insist on the squad being finalised until June 4, with the 23 names to be selected from a 30-man long-list to be decided by May 14. Southgate, however, plans to have his personnel in place way before then.
“We would be very close to the 23 in March but there’s obviously four or five players perhaps that aren’t with us through injury now,” he said. “We’ve almost got a big jigsaw puzzle now we know how we want to play, what are the pieces that fit into it, who would be our preferred choices.
“But, for sure, in our minds we’re getting closer. If we had to pick a 23 tomorrow, we would know what it is.
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“All of our players will be noting the performance from the other night and wanting themselves to show what they can do.
“We want competition for places all of the time so whether that’s young players or more senior players, everybody is going to work hard for their place in the squad and in the starting XI and that drives improved performance when you have that depth to pick from.”
Southgate’s starting line-up had the lowest number of caps for 36 years and, while he would appreciate a few more experienced heads back in the camp, he is not afraid to go without.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “We’ve got a freshness about us, an energy about us, that people have enjoyed, we’re a young team.
“We left Wembley and people were excited by what they saw, enjoyed the game, that’s my desire as the manager to produce a team which sends people home feeling that way.”