'Not just goals, he's a great connecter' - should Welbeck be in England squad?

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,

Danny Welbeck celebrated scoring against Liverpool by cupping his ear

ByGary RoseBBC Sport journalist

Published15 minutes ago
18 Comments

When Thomas Tuchel named his England squad on Friday for upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan there was one omission that became even more glaring the following day.

That's because the player with the most goals by an Englishman in the Premier League this season hit a double as Brighton beat Champions League-chasing Liverpool.

Danny Welbeck may be 35 but he is showing age is just a number after scoring his 11th and 12th league goals of the season.

While he may not be able to show Tuchel what he can do on the international stage before the German coach decides on his squad for this summer's World Cup, he appears to be doing all he can at club level.

If he was frustrated at not impressing Tuchel enough yet for a call-up, he didn't show it after his man-of-the-match display against Liverpool.

"Control what I can control," he told BBC Match of the Day on being in the conversation for a call-up.

"It's really nice that my name is being mentioned. That's a positive for me.

"I don't like to give energy to things I can't control. For me, I'm just happy, I'm enjoying my football and I focus on what I can control."

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Why 'valuable' Welbeck is in such good form

Welbeck's statistics this season are certainly impressive.

His two goals for Brighton took his tally in the league this season to 12, his outright most in a single campaign.

Indeed, it's the third time he's netted more than one goal in a league game this term, also his outright most in a season.

Key to Welbeck's scoring form this season is just how clinical he is. His first six goals of the season came from just seven shots on target and against Liverpool he had two shots on target, scoring both.

But for Seagulls manager Fabian Hurzeler, the veteran offers much more than just the goals.

He said: "Not only scoring goals - he is in brilliant shape of course - but also being there as a team-mate, finding good connections between team-mates, creating a good togetherness.

"He is a great connector, he is so valuable on and off the pitch and he can help every team in the world, including England."

Former England striker Wayne Rooney praised Welbeck's all-round play, saying: "He scores goals, he works really hard, he links the play really well.

"He's certainly an option for England."

Why is he currently overlooked for England?

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is enjoying an incredible season, having scored 47 goals in all competitions for the German side, and will lead the line for England in North America.

The question is who acts as his deputy?

Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the joint top-scoring English player alongside Danny Welbeck on 10 goals before the latter got his double and he has been called up to Tuchel's squad.

The Leeds striker had an impressive run of form with seven goals in six games towards the end of 2025 but went into Saturday's game against Brentford on the back of one goal in his previous eight games.

Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke was also called up but he has just three Premier League goals this season and is working his way back from a long injury lay-off.

Both have the profile to replace Kane but don't have the form that Welbeck finds himself in.

"Welbeck is very unfortunate not to get the call-up," Rooney added.

"I think it was probably between him and [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin so he's just missed out - but he's having a fantastic season."

Despite his omission from this squad, Hurzeler believes Tuchel will make the right call when it comes to naming his England World Cup squad.

"England have a really good German coach and he will make the right decisions," he said.

He said it is vital to judge Welbeck on his importance "beside the pitch" and in creating "group togetherness", adding: "That can be crucial for a World Cup."

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