Neco Williams sends clear message to Thomas Tuchel and England after Morgan Gibbs-White snub
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Credit: Imago Fri 22 May 2026 16:24, UK Neco Williams has taken to social media to back up his Nottingham Forest teammate Morgan Gibbs-White, who was snubbed for England’s World Cup squad.The midfielder has enjoyed a brilliant season, but will have to watch from the sofa this summer after Thomas Tuchel opted for other candidates.Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers have been included, though the more controversial picks include the likes of Jordan Henderson. The Brentford midfielder has presumably been included for his leadership qualities, a facet of Gibbs-White’s game that has seemingly been ignored.Nevertheless, the 26-year-old can take pride in his Nottingham Forest form having kept his side in the Premier League for another season. ⚽ Nottingham Forest Matchday ⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Nottingham Forest fixture.
VISIT THE FOREST MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Neco Williams sends Morgan Gibbs-White messageFormer Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider in March that Williams could leave Nottingham Forest this summer.The defender has enjoyed a superb season for the Tricky Trees, appearing in all but one of their Premier League games and proving a hugely reliable option. Neco WilliamsStats – Premier League 2025-26Appearances36Goals2Assists3Chances created36Successful crosses27Tackles94Recoveries158Duels won211Williams would have hoped to go to the World Cup with Wales this summer, but was among those to fluff their lines from the penalty spot as Craig Bellamy’s side were knocked out of the play-offs by Bosnia and Herzegovina in March.In some ways, however, Gibbs-White’s absence from the tournament will have been even more painful for the midfielder, considering how much he put in.The 26-year-old has scored 13 goals and provided four assists since the start of the year, entering arguably the best form of his career as he fought for Nottingham Forest’s safety.That goal was achieved, and his nomination for Premier League Player of the Season looked sure to be followed by a call-up for the World Cup squad, but it was not to be.
Williams took to Instagram following the news, posting a picture of Gibbs-White holding the award he received when he was crowned Premier League Player of the Month for April.Credit: necowilliams on Instagram“Jheeeezz”, he captioned the picture, tagging his captain and adding an England flag emoji.How did Thomas Tuchel explain Gibbs-White’s absence?Gibbs-White is not the only advanced midfielder to miss out on Tuchel’s England squad. “There were difficult phone calls,” the German explained on Friday, “For some of them, it’s just a positional thing to have a balanced squad so we don’t bring five number tens”.“Even if it was painful, I think it was the right call for England”.