Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White has admitted that earning a place in England’s World Cup squad would represent the greatest achievement of his career.
The Forest playmaker has enjoyed a superb campaign, registering 17 goals and seven assists across all competitions while playing a key role in the club’s impressive season.
Despite his strong form, Gibbs-White has been absent from Thomas Tuchel’s last two England squads, leaving uncertainty over whether he will make the final 26-man selection for this summer’s World Cup.
Ahead of Friday’s squad announcement, the 26-year-old insisted he has done everything possible to force his way into contention.
“It would be my biggest achievement,” Gibbs-White stated.
“I’ve tried my absolute hardest these past six months to get my name in contention. I can only control what I can control and that’s my performances and helping this team get to heights we want to get to.
“It would be an incredible achievement. Something that me and my family have dreamt of since I was a little boy. Every kid’s dream is to be on that squad list for the World Cup. Whatever will be, will be.”
Gibbs-White’s season was briefly disrupted following a nasty collision with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez during Forest’s 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.
The midfielder suffered facial injuries that required stitches and has since been playing in a protective mask.
Reflecting on the incident, Gibbs-White admitted the immediate aftermath was frightening, although he surprisingly felt little pain at the time.
“I wasn’t in any pain at all. It was just the shock and adrenaline. When it happened I got up and I saw the blood flying everywhere. I was just in shock.
“It was the worst timing because we had such important games coming up. We had the second leg of the Europa League semi-final. When it happened, that was the first thing I thought about. It was ‘look, I need to be back for that game as fast as possible.’
“I thank the club, the doctor and manager for not rushing me back into it because I probably would’ve gone out there and played. Everybody saw how it was looking and it wouldn’t have been good. It would’ve been stupid of me to play.
“It was scary, but I wanted to help the team as much as I could. Whether it was sitting on the bench or in the stands, I wanted to be there to support the team.”
With England’s squad reveal approaching, Gibbs-White now waits to discover whether his outstanding performances for Nottingham Forest have done enough to secure his place on football’s biggest stage.
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