Tom Ince has shocked Gareth Southgate by informing him that he no longer wants to play for England’s Under-21s.
The winger, who is the son of the former England captain Paul Ince, has played 18 times for the junior side and had been expected to feature in this summer’s European Championship finals in the Czech Republic. Instead he has withdrawn from contention in what can be interpreted as an extraordinary snub.
“I’ve had discussions with Tom and his dad over the last week or so, and he has decided he does not want to be considered,” said Southgate, who clearly fears it could spell the end of Ince’s international career. “I have to say I was surprised. He’s obviously been a regular for us all the way through the campaign. But he feels at this moment in time he has got some priorities at club level. There is some uncertainty about where he’s going to be next season.”
It feels like a self-destructive move on the part of the 23-year-old, who is currently on loan to Derby County from Hull City, and Southgate acknowledged he was “shocked” on hearing of the decision last week. “Only time will tell if it’s a good decision on his part,” he said. “I don’t think it’s my position to convince people to come. It’s for Tom to explain his full reasons. He’s been a good member of the squad and I’ve enjoyed working with him. I’m disappointed.
“I’ve told Tom and Paul that they need to be aware of the possible consequences of the decision in terms of how it would appear from the outside. I think they understand that. I now have to look after the rest of the group – the guys who are fully committed to being with us.”
Ince’s career trajectory has arguably stuttered ever since he left Liverpool to join Blackpool in 2011. He moved to Hull last year but struggled to cope with the step up to the Premier League and failed to command a first team place, prompting loan stints at first Nottingham Forest and now Derby.
Since joining Steve McClaren’s side, Ince has impressed and seemed a potential star of the Under-21 European Championship. “I assumed he’d have wanted to put himself on this big stage,” said Southgate, whose side face the Czech Republic in Prague on 27 March before meeting Germany in another friendly at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium on 30 March. Southgate suspects Ince’s absence this summer may jeopardise his longer-term senior chances.
“I think in life you should be as open as you can to opportunities,” he said. “And I think you should stay in positions that can lead to opportunities. Hopefully for Tom it’s a decision that works out for him. I wanted to check he was certain and he felt he was. We respect that. I think it’s important that Tom is now allowed to articulate exactly how he feels.”
