England Boss Southgate Claims 'Threat' Loftus-Cheek Has Been 'Kept in His Place' by Chelsea Stars

England boss Gareth Southgate reckons Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been 'kept in his place' at Chelsea, and prevented from developing properly by senior stars.

The youngster, on loan at Crystal Palace for the season, caught the eye at Wembley against world champions Germany on Friday night, earning the Man of the Match award for a confident display.

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It was a rather refreshing performance from Loftus-Cheek, who operated as a number 10 on the night, and Southgate claimed after the match that he is a threat to his teammates back at Stamford Bridge.

As quoted by the Mirror, he said: "I’ve known Ruben a long time - I think the first time I saw him was an Under-16 international - I think Dele Alli played that night in his first game too.

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"And when you see his physical size, you think you’ll also see a certain type of player. Then I saw what you all saw against Germany - one that is so technically-gifted.

"He’s also been able to battle through difficult spells at Chelsea where he’s been training with senior players who have recognised his talent and so they get to him in training. Have they kept him in his place? Yes. They probably saw the threat."

It remains to be seen whether Loftus-Cheek will start against Brazil next week, but he has certainly given himself every chance.