Gareth Southgate addresses Mason Greenwood’s chances at England return

Gareth Southgate has said that he would conduct his own personal investigation before considering selecting Manchester United loanee Mason Greenwood for England.

Greenwood, 22, is on loan at La Liga club Getafe after it was confirmed that he would not recommence his career at Manchester United last summer.

The criminal charges against Greenwood’s name were dropped in February 2023 following the withdrawal of key witnesses, but fan outcry forced Richard Arnold to perform a U-Turn after he had originally planned to reintroduce the forward to Erik ten Hag’s squad.

With eight goals and five assists this season, Greenwood has attracted potential suitors for a summer transfer, such as Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, as well as the option of representing Jamaica internationally.

The United player had made one appearance for The Three Lions before his suspension in 2022.

Speaking on the 22-year-old’s chance of making his way back into the side, Southgate downplayed any suggestion that he is in contention for the upcoming Euro 2024 squad.

“Well, for me, I don’t think it’s something for pre-Euros,” he told reporters. “I think allowing him to get his career going again abroad appears to have been a good move but I have to say I have not tracked it closely.

“I think at this moment in time it would be a big distraction for the team and let’s see where that leads next season.”

Greenwood denied all the charges against his name and is now back playing professionally on a weekly basis. However, the public nature of his case means that there still is an element of weariness over his name.

United conducted their own internal investigation into the academy graduate’s situation after he was cleared of all charges. Southgate has suggested that he would do similar before considering Greenwood.

“I would need to know more details about the whole thing before it was an option,” he added.