Morgan Gibbs-White has endured a frustrating and emotional couple of weeks, and Nottingham Forest fans have every right to feel aggrieved on his behalf. His omission from the initial England squad was already a bitter pill to swallow, but the way events have unfolded since then has only added to the sense of injustice.

It all started when Thomas Tuchel announced his squad for the latest round of international fixtures, and despite Gibbs-White’s strong form for Forest, he was left out. Many Forest fans were vocal in their disappointment, feeling their captain had done enough to warrant a place. Then, after receiving immense support from the traveling Forest supporters during their clash with Ipswich, Gibbs-White was drafted into the England squad at the last minute following Cole Palmer’s withdrawal due to injury. It seemed like fate was giving him a second chance to prove himself.

However, what followed was another setback. Despite being part of the squad, he was left out of the matchday squad entirely for England’s 3-0 win over Albania. That meant he didn’t even get the chance to warm the bench, let alone make an impact. Tuchel, to his credit, praised Gibbs-White’s response to the disappointment and hinted that he would be involved in the next game against Latvia. With England already well on their way to qualification, this seemed like the perfect chance for Tuchel to rotate the squad and give Gibbs-White some valuable minutes in an international setting.

But when the Latvia game arrived, the frustration only deepened. England found themselves in another comfortable 3-0 lead, creating an ideal scenario for Tuchel to bring on players who had yet to feature. Yet, instead of giving Gibbs-White a chance to prove himself, Tuchel opted to introduce two veterans—Kyle Walker and Jordan Henderson. This was a baffling decision, and one that left not only Forest fans but also neutral observers scratching their heads. What was the point of calling Gibbs-White up if he wasn’t going to be given a single minute?

The debate surrounding his exclusion has become a hot topic, and it reached a boiling point during a discussion on The Overlap, where pundits Ian Wright, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane, and Gary Neville clashed over the issue. The discussion centered on Phil Foden’s performances for England, with Wright and Carragher arguing that players like Gibbs-White deserved a chance if Foden wasn’t delivering. Neville, however, dismissed the idea, insisting that Foden should be an automatic pick regardless of form.

Neville’s argument—that players from big clubs always get picked because managers trust them—is a prime example of the flawed thinking that has plagued England selections for years. He even bizarrely compared Foden’s situation to Alan Shearer at Euro 96, suggesting that just as Shearer was always going to start despite a goal drought, Foden should be trusted in the same way. This completely ignores the fact that Shearer was a proven international goal scorer, whereas Foden has yet to truly shine in an England shirt.

Carragher and Wright were having none of it, with Carragher calling Neville’s reasoning “absolute nonsense.” Keane, always blunt, simply pointed out that Foden isn’t in form, so why not try someone else? That’s the question many fans are asking—what more does Gibbs-White have to do to get a chance?

Unfortunately, this is a familiar story for players who don’t come from one of the so-called “big six” clubs. Despite his importance to Nottingham Forest and his consistently strong performances in the Premier League, Gibbs-White is still being overlooked in favor of players from more high-profile clubs, even when they aren’t playing well. The reality is that if he were playing for a team like Manchester United or Chelsea, he’d probably have earned multiple England caps by now.

So, where does Gibbs-White go from here? First and foremost, he has to use this setback as motivation. The best way to respond is to continue performing at the highest level for Nottingham Forest and make himself impossible to ignore. England has another round of fixtures coming up soon, and one of them will be played at the City Ground. That game presents a huge opportunity for Gibbs-White to prove his worth in front of a home crowd, but he’ll need to ensure that his club form remains at a high level to force Tuchel’s hand.

The bigger question, however, is whether he will ever get a fair chance under Tuchel. England managers have long had a tendency to favor players from elite clubs over those who consistently perform well for mid-table teams. If this trend continues, Gibbs-White may eventually have to consider his international future. He is also eligible to play for Jamaica, and if he continues to be overlooked by England, that option could become increasingly appealing.

At the moment, though, it’s clear that Gibbs-White is passionate about playing for England. He won’t be giving up on his international ambitions anytime soon, and he’ll be determined to prove Tuchel wrong in the coming months. If he can maintain his form and help Forest climb the table, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be included in future squads.

This latest snub is undoubtedly frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the road for Gibbs-White’s England hopes. He just needs to keep doing what he’s been doing—leading Forest with his performances and showing why he deserves a chance on the international stage. If he keeps delivering, sooner or later, Tuchel won’t be able to ignore him any longer.