ENGLAND manager Gareth Southgate has said that Euro 2024 is 'a bit early' for defender Jarrad Branthwaite after leaving the Cumbrian out of his final 26-man squad. 

The former Carlisle United centre-back was one of seven players cut from England's 33-man provisional squad on Thursday, June 6 by Southgate as he named the players he would be taking to Germany for the tournament.

Branthwaite's fellow Cumbrians James Trafford and Dean Henderson had mixed fates with the 21-year-old from Gerysouthen also not making the final squad whereas Crystal Palace's Whitehaven-born shot-stopper Henderson was handed a seat on the plane.

Branthwaite, who made 35 Premier League appearances for Sean Dyche's Everton and scooped the club's Young Player and Players' Player of the Season awards, also misses out days after making his senior debut for the Three Lions against Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Addressing the media after confirming his final Euro 2-24 squad, Southgate discussed his belief that the tournament has come to 'early' for the Cumbrian defender.

"I think it's a bit early for Jarrad," He said. 

"He's had a fabulous season and it was good to get him on the pitch on Monday.

"Of course ideally we'd have had a left-footed centre-back but I don't think it would have been the right call."

Aside from Cumbrians Branthwaite and Trafford, Southgate also omitted Harry Maguire, James Maddison, Curtis Jones, Jack Grealish, and Jarell Quansah, but the Three Lions boss confirmed that the young Liverpool defender would remain with the England camp. 

Speaking about delivering the bad news to his players, Southgate praised the way his players dealt with the disappointment.

He said: "All of the players [not included] took the news really respectfully.

"All players of course will feel they should have been in and that's why they're top players because they have that self-belief and they have that mindset.

"We back our decisions but we recognise we could have gone a different route.

"The boys are big characters, fabulous team-mates and great boys to work with.

"It's sad to have to deliver that news to them."