Gareth Southgate has reacted after it was noticed that Liverpool star, Trent Alexander-Arnold did not sing the England national anthem before their defeat in Hungary.
The England defender kept mute and looked on as his team-mates sang the ‘God Save The Queen’ at the Puskas Arena in Budapest ahead of their 1-0 Nations League defeat on Saturday.
And this prompted much debate on social media, with fans questioning the player’s decision.
But England coach, Southgate was firm in his stance when asked about the 23-year-old before his side’s clash against Germany in Munich.
When questioned as to whether he had an issue with the player not joining in singing the anthem, the coach tried to cast supporters’ minds back to an England legend who used to play in the same position as Trent and never sang the anthem too.
Southgate said: “No, I don’t think Gary Neville ever sang it. It must be a right-back thing.”
The FA, meanwhile, have previously defended players who choose not to sing the national anthem, insisting it is a personal choice.
Responding to claims that England record goalscorer Wayne Rooney ‘showed disrespect’ by not singing the pre-match anthem, the FA said in a statement: “Whether a player wishes to sing the national anthem or not is purely a personal choice.
“The reasons behind Wayne Rooney’s decision not to sing is down to him. We know that every player certainly cares passionately and has enormous pride playing for England.”
