(Credit: Imago)

Jonathan Burnett

Mon 24 March 2025 11:31, UK

Thomas Tuchel has emphatically pinned the writing on the wall for Aaron Ramsdale with his latest England squad announcement.

Tuchel sparked confusion by naming four goalkeepers in his maiden 26-player squad for England’s matches with Albania and Latvia this month, depriving one potential outfielder of a place in the team.

Ramsdale, Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson and Burnley’s James Trafford are therefore all members of the German’s first selection going into the second game against Latvia, despite only three being needed.

The 2026 World Cup – which Tuchel has been hired to win for England – and other international tournaments only permit three goalkeepers per 26-man squad, making Tuchel’s decision a puzzling one.

Aaron Ramsdale left out of England squad v Latvia

Despite squad sizes increasing from 23 to 26 ahead of Euro 2020, international matchday squads are still only permitted to include 23 players, meaning three of Tuchel’s call-ups have had to miss out.

Against Albania, Ramsdale, Morgan Gibbs-White and Jarell Quansah were all absent, as Myles Lewis-Skelly and Harry Kane’s goals sealed a comfortable win, although Anthony Gordon was injured late on.

With Gordon returning to Newcastle United ahead of facing Latvia, the BBC reported on 24 March that Tuchel has called Gibbs-White into the 23, while Quansah has also displaced Tino Livramento.

Ramsdale, however, remains on the periphery; left out of the matchday squad once again with Trafford and Henderson preferred as deputies to Pickford – despite the former still being a Championship player.

Aaron Ramsdale must move and improve to save England career

While few would argue that Henderson – as the keeper of an in-form Crystal Palace side – is the clear choice as England’s number two, Ramsdale losing his place again to Trafford will alarm the 26-year-old.

Trafford may have kept 26 clean sheets in just 37 Championship matches this season, but he’s playing behind an impregnable Burnley defence who’ve conceded just 11 goals, the best in English football.

Ramsdale has had no such luck with Southampton in the Premier League, with Saints destined for a return to the second-tier having lost 24 matches, with Ramsdale keeping just three clean sheets.

However, it’s clear Ramsdale has had much more to do than Trafford from a goalkeeping perspective, and he’ll feel that his snubbing from two England squads is a sign that he needs to move on this summer.

Ramsdale man is destined for the third relegation of his career, and with Trafford’s Burnley potentially heading the other way, it’s vital he remains a Premier League player to revitalise his England chances.