England ‘thought Mason Greenwood would replace Harry Kane’ before Man Utd axe

Football Digest: Man Utd with work to do after sluggish start

England bosses were reportedly convinced that Mason Greenwood was the natural heir to Harry Kane before his arrest and subsequent axe by Manchester United earlier this week. It was confirmed on Monday that Greenwood is set to leave the Red Devils after it was decided that he will not be reintegrated into Erik ten Hag’s squad.

The verdict marked the end of a lengthy club investigation which has left Greenwood’s career in tatters following his arrest in January last year. The charges were subsequently dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service after 13 months but United still opted to cut ties with Greenwood, who will now be forced to make a fresh start away from Old Trafford.

Greenwood’s international career has also stalled in the years since he won his maiden England cap against Iceland in 2020. It seems as though his chances of returning to England duty are now gone, meaning that he will fail to hit the heights that were once expected of him by Gareth Southgate.

The departing United striker was once regarded as the ‘obvious heir’ to Kane’s starting spot for England, according to the Daily Mail. It is said that senior figures at St George’s Park believed that Greenwood was a generational talent but his situation has obviously been complicated by the events of the last two years.

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Southgate was left angered when Greenwood broke Covid-19 restrictions while on international duty in Iceland, although the England boss was said to have moved on from the incident prior to the forward’s arrest. He was even thinking about selecting Greenwood for last year’s World Cup before he was arrested, although it is said that there were doubts about picking him if he was not going to play as a regular starter.

He reportedly met Greenwood, members of his family and United bosses in 2021 to explore the possibility of reintegrating him into the England squad but ultimately decided against it. The relationship between the FA and Greenwood’s family, in particular his father, is now thought to be ‘awkward’.

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The 21-year-old was still rated highly by Southgate, who admired his knack of popping up in different areas of the pitch and thought he could play as a like-for-like replacement for Kane. A return to England duty is now among the least of Greenwood’s worries, though, given the uncertain future he faces after being dropped by United.

There is said to be a chance that Greenwood could switch allegiances to Jamaica, who he is eligible to represent through his parents. FIFA rules will allow Greenwood to make the change from next month despite the forward having already played in a competitive match for England.

Greenwood previously snubbed the opportunity to play for Jamaica but only time will tell if he will change his mind in the event of a renewed approach in the near future. He would be joining several other English-born players, including the likes of Michail Antonio, Demarai Gray and Ravel Morrison, if he eventually decides to represent the Reggae Boyz.

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