Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has admitted that he fully supported Gareth Southgate's decision to hand Chelsea star Mason Mount a start ahead of Jack Grealish in England's Euro 2020 opener against Croatia on Sunday.
After the team news was confirmed ahead of kick-off, thousands upon thousands of England supporters blasted Southgate's selection, with many furious with his decision to leave Grealish out of the starting line-up, despite impressing in their final pre-tournament friendly win against Romania.
Instead of opting to hand Grealish his first appearance at a major tournament for his country, Southgate went with the tried and tested approach, handing a start to Raheem Sterling, who netted the only goal of the game to get the Three Lions off to a flying start.
However, some supporters have still remained insistent that Grealish should have started, even though Southgate nailed his team selection and tactical approach to perfection.
Some even said that Grealish should have been named in the starting line-up ahead of Mount, despite the Chelsea star having shone brightly throughout the campaign and recently helping the Blues win the UEFA Champions League by claiming the assist for Kai Havertz's winner.
But for former England right-back Neville, Southgate got the decision to opt for Mount over Grealish bang on the money.
"Would I play him [Grealish] in front of Mason Mount at the moment? No, because I think Mason Mount connects the team," Neville told The Overlap.
"He is the glue of the team. I think the midfield and the attack are joined together by him.
"I think he is defensively dependable, in terms of what he did yesterday getting back in helping (Declan) Rice and Philips in midfield.
"I thought what he did was an unsung job."
Although Mount had no say in Sterling's winner, the former Derby County loanee most certainly produced a spirited and encouraging performance on the left of the midfield three.
He often showed a desire to get on the ball, make runs into the channels and make himself available to have a shot at goal. In all, it was a really encouraging performance from the Chelsea midfielder on what was his first appearance at a major tournament for his country.
Neville's claim about Mount deservedly being ahead of Grealish in the England pecking order comes just days after reports surfaced claiming that the Blues are the "favourites" to sign Grealish this summer.
The Aston Villa captain, despite not getting on the pitch against Croatia on Sunday, enjoyed a hugely successful 2020/21 campaign, scoring seven goals and claiming 12 assists in all competitions.
Interest ahead of next season is already rife in Grealish's signature, with reports now claiming that Chelsea have joined the race.
But considering the Blues already have Mount and Havertz to their name in the attacking-midfield role, a big-money move for Grealish this summer does seem somewhat unlikely.
