Gareth Southgate has warned Reiss Nelson against believing he just has to “roll up” to become the next teenager to earn a senior England call-up.
The 18-year-old was left out of Southgate’s latest 28-man squad for next week’s matches against the United States and Croatia, despite impressing for Hoffenheim.
Nelson, who signed a new contract with Arsenal in August before agreeing a season-long loan move to Germany, has scored five goals in six Bundesliga appearances, while also featuring in three Champions League games.
Southgate last month handed a debut to Jadon Sancho — who also ventured overseas in search of first-team football, leaving Manchester City to join Borussia Dortmund — while also calling up uncapped duo Mason Mount and James Maddison.
However, Nelson is set to continue with Aidy Boothroyd’s Under-21s and, while Southgate lauded the midfielder’s potential, he cited a raft of other names he is competing with.
"We really like Reiss," Southgate told Standard Sport. "He came and trained with us in September.
"He is doing okay with Hoffenheim and we think that he and some other players in the Under-21s have got big futures.
"He always impressed me in the match time he got at Arsenal, he always had a really good impact whenever he played.
"I always liked his personality on the field and he is one of a number of attacking players who will push for places in the coming years, but he is not the only one and it is important we keep pushing him.
"I don’t want him to be thinking that he has just got to roll up and he’s the next one, because there is really good competition for places.
"Maddison and Mount won’t be there this time because of injury, but [Ryan] Sessegnon, [Demarai] Gray, [Dominic] Solanke and Phil Foden — you can go on.
"Then underneath that, you have got [Callum] Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White. There are some really exciting players coming through the system."
