“I’ll try to bring as much energy as I can” – Aaron Ramsdale excited to make England’s World Cup squad

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has expressed excitement after England head coach Gareth Southgate named him and 25 others in England’s World Cup squad.

The 24-year-old, during an interview with talkSPORT, said he believes England can win the World Cup. He expressed his delight about having the opportunity to play in the national team alongside Jordan Pickford and Nick Pope.

ALSO READ: Portugal unveils 26-man squad for friendly match against Nigeria

“It would be nice to have the opportunity to show what we (goalkeepers) can do. Jordan (Pickford) is a real character. Pope (Nick) is a top lad as well.” Ramsdale said.

He confessed he has watched Pickford closely over the years and has a lot of respect for him. The Arsenal number one goalkeeper added that he does not mind playing behind a three or four-man defense.

Ramsdale is the youngest of the three English goalkeepers heading to the World Cup. Pope is 30 years old while Pickford is 28.

Wilson, Gallagher, White make squad

Meanwhile, Southgate revealed he doesn’t know his starting XI yet. The likes of Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling, Harry Maguire, Callum Wilson and Bukayo Saka were also included in the team.

Some other players called up are James Maddison, Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Conor Coady, Ben White and Eric Dier.

However, there have been mixed reactions regarding the inclusion of Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Philips. Critics argue that Southgate’s reason for excluding Tammy Abraham from the final list was not cogent enough. Thee head coach had stated that Abraham wasn’t chosen because he has lost form in front of goal.

Also, Chelsea head coach Graham Potter said Conor Gallagher’s inclusion in the selection is “nice.”

“It’s nice for Conor, fantastic for us. He’s going to have a positive experience I think. He’s worked really hard and is a fantastic person.” Potter said.

ALSO READ: Top 5 Nigerian sportspersons in 2022

“It’s a fantastic honour for him and everyone is really pleased. It’s a nice story, he’s come through the club and been out on loan.”

On his World Cup squad inclusion, Ramsdale spoke on a number of interesting topics.

Notable omissions

Notable omissions from the Three Lions’ team include Abraham, Ivan Toney, Fikayo Tomori, James Ward-Prowse and Jadon Sancho. Marc Guehi, Tyrone Mings and Jarrod Bowen were also ignored.