Gary Lineker believes that spat between England team-mates Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez is ‘no big deal’ and it is already time to move on.
The Manchester City and Liverpool players squared off during the match at Anfield on Sunday and then the feud was reignited on England duty on Monday.
Sterling approached Gomez, goaded him and tried to grab him by the neck, before other players were forced to step in to separate them.
As a result, Sterling has been dropped from the England team for the Euro 2020 qualifier against Montenegro on Thursday at Wembley by manager Gareth Southgate.
The 24-year-old apologised to Gomez and the rest of the England squad in a team meeting on Tuesday and has remained with the camp to train this week.
Former England striker Lineker has dismissed the entire incident as a non-event and thinks it should be put in the past as soon as possible.
Lineker tweeted: ‘Players care. Players fall out. Players have tantrums. It’s a competitive, pressured, often heated environment. Players get over these things. No big deal. Move on.’
Players care. Players fall out. Players have tantrums. It’s a competitive, pressured, often heated environment. Players get over these things. No big deal. Move on.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) November 12, 2019
Both players now insist that the problem between them has been resolved and other England squad members insist the matter has been resolved.
However, England will still have to do without Sterling on Thursday who has scored eight goals in just six qualification matches for Euro 2020.
Southgate explained his decision to drop Sterling, saying: ‘I love all of my players. We are like a family. The important thing is for a family to communicate and work through problems.
‘I don’t expect as a manager to not have to deal with issues.
‘Raheem in his [social media] post last night explained for a very brief moment his emotions ran over. It would be correct to say that’s not the same for Joe,
‘In the end I have to find the right solution for the group. That’s a difficult line, you try to be fair when dealing with all players. I won’t always get that right but I am the manager.
‘Raheem is very important for us but I felt it was the right thing.’
Sterling’s Instagram post read: ‘First and foremost everyone knows what that game means to me! Everyone knows that I am not that way inclined and more to the point.
‘Both Joe and I have had words and figured things out and moved on. – We are in a sport where emotions run high and I am man enough to admit when emotions got the better of me.
‘We move this is why we play this sport because of our love for it – me and @joegomez5 are good we both understand it was a 5-10 second thing it’s done we move forward and not make this bigger than it is.
‘Let’s get focus on our game on Thursday.’
MORE: Raheem Sterling apologised to England players in team meeting after Joe Gomez row
MORE: Gareth Southgate says England squad are ‘moving forward’ after Raheem Sterling’s row with Joe Gomez
