Wolves captain Conor Coady is yet to play a minute for England at Euro 2020.
But that hasn’t stopped him from impressing Gareth Southgate, according to a report by the Athletic.
They report that Southgate did extensive background checks on the personalities of his players before the tournament.
He wanted players who wouldn’t let their heads drop if they weren’t playing and Coady has impressed him in that respect.
Coady is a leader for club and country, a big personality who talks a lot on the pitch or watching from the sidelines.
The personality of the players is important when a squad is away at a tournament for an extended period.
Those who don’t play come in the day after matches and train as usual, and it’s important that the intensity of those sessions is high. It helps set standards.
It appears Coady has been a model professional in that respect and you’d expect nothing less. Coady spoke last week about his pride in going to a major tournament with his country.
Will Coady play at Euro 2020?
In truth, it doesn’t seem likely.
Southgate switched to a back three against Germany on Tuesday, but that involved tucking Kyle Walker inside alongside John Stones and Harry Maguire.
Tyrone Mings deputised for Maguire while he was out injured for the first two games, which indicates Southgate’s pecking order.
So while it might sound patronising or faint praise, it’s important that Coady keeps being a positive influence around the camp even when he’s not playing.
That’s the best way he can impress his manager right now.
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