Kevin De Bruyne's opinion on Jack Grealish before England axe speaks volumes

England manager Gareth Southgate must now address the "creative problems" that Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne believed Jack Grealish would resolve for him.

The decision to leave Grealish out of the Three Lions squad for Euro 2024 has stirred conversations both within and outside the camp. His international team-mates were reportedly shocked by the call, with a senior player said to have even approached the manager about it.

And the Germany national team are claimed to have expressed surprise, as they were more fearful of Grealish's skills with the ball at his feet compared to those vying for his place on the plane. Now, Southgate is pinning his hopes on the likes of Anthony Gordon, Eberechi Eze, and Jarrod Bowen to step up and fill his void.

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De Bruyne singled out Grealish back in 2020 after their clash in the Nations League and before they became team-mates at Manchester City. Praising his talent, the Belgian said: "I rate him very highly.

"He’s somebody I mentioned before, talking to the team-mates at City, in a random conversation. In England, they talked about creative problems in midfield, but he brings that to a team. He deserves a shot."

As Grealish's absence looms large over the upcoming Euros, its impact, if any, on England's performance remains to be seen. But former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic is somewhat relieved that Serbia won't have to grapple with him in their opening group match.

Matic, who retired from international duty in 2020, took to X/Twitter and wrote: "I would always like to have players like @MarcusRashford and @JackGrealish in the team - players who can decide the game with one move. Not selected/good news for us."

England manager Southgate commented on his decision to drop Grealish and fellow attacker James Maddison from his team, citing form as a major factor. His preferred picks, Eze, Gordon, and Bowen all had a stronger second half of the season.

Southgate explained: "The fact is we've got some players who have been playing extremely well all season in the league and we just feel other players have had stronger seasons - particularly in the past six months or so.

"We're blessed with options in attacking areas, all offering something slightly different. Madders and Jack give us something different as well, so they're tough calls.

"We've gone over it and over it as staff to try and be fair. We back our decisions but we recognise we could have gone a different route. Both boys are big characters and great to work with."