Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez issued grovelling apologies to England team after canteen bust-up, reveals Ben Chilwell
BEN CHILWELL has revealed Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez issued grovelling apologies to the England squad after their canteen bust-up.
Gomez was left with a cut under his eye after Sterling lashed out following Liverpool’s hotly-contested win over Manchester City.
But Chilwell has revealed that things were quickly sorted out – with both players having the chance to get things off their chest.
Sterling was axed from England’s team to play Montenegro in their Euro 2020 qualifier following the row in the canteen of the Three Lions’ St George’s Park base.
In fact, the in-form City winger was in his car on his way home after being cut from the squad altogether – only for Gomez to plead with Southgate to bring him back.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Chilwell revealed: “Gareth spoke about the situation and spoke about what he thought, and he also wanted to know what we thought about it.
“Joe and Raheem got the chance to talk, which they both wanted to do.
“For Raheem, he wanted to apologise and Joe wanted to get stuff off his chest as well. That was it done then.
“[Sterling] was apologetic. He said it’s not in his nature, which it’s not.
“We all know as footballers that emotions can run high. There’s no-one trying to make excuses for him, including himself.”
Chilwell continued: “Gareth didn’t want to make a decision himself, he was keen we came to the right decision with the leadership group.
“It got spoken about between the leadership group and Gareth. The decision has been made and we’re all very on board with that.
“Since then it’s not been spoken of. It got squashed yesterday [Monday]. We’ve moved on and trained as normal this morning.”
Meanwhile, Gareth Southgate revealed his disappointment in not being given the opportunity to sort the row internally due to the leaked information.
The Three Lions boss said “Now, there seems to be all sorts of information being passed from so many different areas areas.
“This is a consequence of the England football team at the moment and that is a very difficult situation and one that is something we have to think about moving forward.
“[The] team getting out, information getting out… there seems to be so many voices in the background. That is something I have to accept and deal with.
“We are a team. I understand our public profile, there is incredible interest in everything that goes in in our camp, beyond anything in any sporting organisation.
“That’s something we have to deal with, we all have to be aware of and that’s the reality of why things become public that in a club often wouldn’t.
“The detail is not for me to take further. I have said what needs to be said publicly but we have to keep as much as we can between ourselves.”
The decision’s been made, and as a group we are all moving forward and concentrating on the football.
Southgate on dropping Sterling
Southgate added: “Should it have been made public or not – in the end when you have made a decision like that it’s going to be public on Wednesday or Thursday anyway and I’d have to deal with it then.
“I’d rather have to deal with it now so we can all focus on the game.
“The decision’s been made, and as a group we are all moving forward and concentrating on the football.”
Elsewhere, former England star Rio Ferdinand slammed Southgate for “hanging Sterling out to dry” – with the forward “upset” after being dropped.
Ferdinand said: “I feel this incident could have been handled better. Keep it behind closed doors and deal with it internally surely?
“Let’s be honest now this kind of stuff isn’t uncommon in squads full of testosterone.
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“In the various squads I have been a part of I have seen players get punched in the face, ribs broken, nose busted, head kicked like a football…..a throat grab was the equivalent of the intricate handshake embraces that are all too familiar today!
“Gareth would no doubt had seen worse many times during his time as a player and manager.
“I just feel this could and should have been handled better to support the player and not hang him out to dry.”