Former footballer turned pundit Kevin Campbell has described Danny Mills’ comments on Aston Villa centre-back Tyrone Mings as “laughable.”
Campbell was speaking to Football Insider about his thoughts on Mills’ talkSPORT comments on the 29-year-old defender.
Mings, who has been described as a “rock” by Michael Hincks, was not selected for Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the second time in a row, with Conor Coady, Harry Maguire, Marc Guéhi, Kyle Walker, Eric Dier, Fikayo Tomori, and John Stones all being picked ahead of the Villa man.
It has been a tumultuous few months for the former Bournemouth centre-back, with Steven Gerrard stripping him of the Villa captaincy before dropping him from the team for the club’s opening day 2-0 defeat at his former club.
Mills had claimed on talkSPORT that Mings hadn’t been picked for the England squad because “he is terrible”, something which Campbell has responded to.
“I don’t know why these guys come out and say rubbish like that,” Campbell told Football Insider.
“Tyrone Mings has played international football and did well in the Euros.
“All of a sudden, he is not good enough? That is nonsense.
“The bottom line is England have a lot of good centre-halves.
“Every player in their career has lost form. That is just fact.
“If you do not get picked and the manager wants to see other players that does not make you a terrible player.
“It makes me laugh hearing that.
“Mings did as well as any centre-half this season against [Erling] Haaland. Haaland was kept quiet.”
TIF Thoughts on Campbell’s comments
We agree with Campbell and believe that Mills’ verdict on Mings is largely unjustified and sounds like a cheap throwaway comment.
Whilst most Villa fans and neutrals would acknowledge that Mings definitely endured a drop-off in form last season compared to the campaigns before, to brandish a Premier League centre-back as “terrible” seems harsh.
Therefore, we think Campbell’s points were well made and valid in defence of Mings, who has largely been an excellent servant to Aston Villa, and has generally played well when called upon by Southgate.