Who is Angel Gomes? The ex-Man Utd midfielder that made Lee Carsley's first England squad

 

Lee Carsley named his first England squad since being named interim boss following Gareth Southgate's decision to step down after Euro 2024 heartbreak. The Three Lions had grown stagnant under Southgate, who took England to two tournament finals during his eight years in charge. A change in charge will hopefully provide a breath of fresh air and while Carsley wasn't the first choice for some, his promotion to senior boss was a logical one. 

 

And there was a number of surprises when he named his first squad on Thursday afternoon. The familiar faces were there - Harry Kane, John Stones and Phil Foden were among those to keep their place in the selection - while Harry Maguire and Jack Grealish also returned. However, Carsley has taken the chance to bring fresh blood into the senior side, and for good reason. 

 

Noni Madueke, Tino Livramento, Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes received their first senior call-ups on Thursday, and deservedly so. However, while Premier League supporters are well aware of the former trio's exploits, the latter was, to some, a wildcard pick from Carsley. Gomes hasn't made the best of starts to the domestic campaign. Indeed, he was hospitalised following a nasty head injury earlier this month. 

 

 

That said, Gomes has quietly been shining for Lille in recent seasons. Having come through the ranks at Manchester United, the midfielder was expected to consolidate a regular spot for the Premier League powerhouse only to depart for Lille in 2020. Gomes spent a season on loan at Portuguese side Boavista before he became a first team regular for the Ligue 1 outfit. 

 

2023/24 was Gomes' best at club level. The 23-year-old ended the campaign with eight assists to his name - no player in Ligue 1 returned more - and a pass success rate of 91.3%, that the 10th best in France's top tier. It's impossible to pigeon-hole Gomes into one specific midfield role with the player able to play a number of positions, ranging from the number 10 role or as the number eight in the double pivot in a 4-2-3-1. 

 

Additionally, Gomes is able to play out wide, and the midfield versatility to his game is a desireable trait for Carsley. While Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo are arguably the starting pair at the base of the midfield, the duo forging a solid partnership at Euro 2024 after significant testing by Southgate, Gomes brings the progressive passing that Adam Wharton is famed for, the Crystal Palace man overlooked this time by Carsley. 

 

Gomes ranked 35th for forward passes (339) in Ligue 1 last season, excluding goalkeepers and centre-backs, players in those two positions expected to pass the ball upfield. 20% of his passes went forward in France's top tier last season, a lower return than Wharton for Palace (31%) in England's top tier, but that is to be expected for an Eagles outfit that saw far less of the ball (41.6%) than Les Dogues (57.1%) in 2023/24. When Wharton won the ball back, he routinely looked forward to capitalise on gaps that opponents had left when committed men forward. 

 

 

While Gomes doesn't have the same defensive resolve as the Palace man, nor that of Rice or Gallagher, he makes up for it with his possession retaining and recyling qualities that helped Lille dominate under Paulo Fonseca last season. It's no surprise to see that Gomes boasts a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'passing' while he has the keen eye for a defence splitting pass that has made him a key player for Lille. 

 

When United sold Gomes back in 2020, quarters of the fanbase were upset to see another homegrown talent depart, particularly one who wasn't give a fair chance to consolidate a place in the XI. His time with Lille, though, has given Gomes the opportunity to realise the immense potential he showed as a youngster. 

 

Having been key in England's U21 Euros success last year, it's no surprise that Carsley has looked to his tried and tested youngsters to help usher in the next era of the Three Lions. Don't be surprised if Gomes goes on to consolidate a regular spot in the national team, particularly if Carsley is handed the England reins permanently.

Who is Angel Gomes? The ex-Man Utd midfielder that made Lee Carsley's first England squad