Southgate takes responsibility for dropping Sterling

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SHOWS: BURTON UPON TRENT, ENGLAND, UK (NOVEMBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND MANAGER, GARETH SOUTHGATE, SAYING:

"I think I'm dealing with a very young squad, very young squad. And we're in a sport where emotions often run high. I think Raheem (Sterling), in his post last night, explained that for a very brief moment his emotions ran over. And it would be correct to say that's not the same for Joe (Gomez). And these things happen in football. Then, what you have to find, is a way for the group to move forward. That needed some time and needed emotions across the board to calm down. We have some excellent senior players who have played a part in bringing everybody together. And you need, as a manager, to see that the group are prepared to work together moving forward, that everybody's comfortable with that, that everybody is in the right place. My priority is always the care and wellbeing of all of my players, all of my players. And then, you have a decision to make as to whether there needs to be something further which is the right thing for the group moving forward. Which was my reason for not selecting Raheem for the game on Thursday (November 14). In regard to whether that should have been made public or not, in the end, when you've 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 deal with it now so that we can all focus on the game. The decision's been made and as a group we're moving forward and concentrating on the football."

STORY: England manager Gareth Southgate said he took ultimate responsibility for the decision to axe Raheem Sterling from the team for Thursday's (November 14) Euro 2020 qualifier but expressed concern about leaks from inside his camp.

Sterling was dropped from the squad to face Montenegro at Wembley after a clash with Joe Gomez at the St. George's Park training ground.

The pair had squared off at Anfield on Sunday (November 10) where Sterling's Manchester City were beaten 3-1 by Liverpool, with Gomez coming on as a late substitute.

Southgate had said in a statement on Monday (November 11) that his decision had been backed by the "agreement of the entire squad".

But the England manager made clear during a news conference on Tuesday (November 12) that the decision was one he took responsibility for.