A reduced role at international level certainly does not equal a footballer of below-par ability. Take Marcus Rashford for instance, left out of Gareth Southgate’s squad for England’s Euro 2024 campaign. Rashford’s new Manchester United team-mate Joshua Zirkzee only played four minutes across the tournament. £52 million centre-half Leny Yoro did not make the France roster either, despite an exceptional club campaign with Lille. Matthijs de Ligt, another of Man United’s leading summer targets, also spent the Euros stuck on Ronald Koeman’s backline. Tyrick Mitchell, meanwhile, spent the summer w…
