England U21 manager Gareth Southgate has made it clear that calling up Calum Chambers and Luke Shaw is certainly not a punishment.
The Arsenal and Manchester United defenders have been included in the Young Lions squad for this month's U21 European Championship play-offs with Croatia after recently been involved with Roy Hodgson's senior side.
Some may see it as a kind of demotion to be dropped to the U21s but Southgate insists the pair, who both left Southampton in the summer, will be able to gain some added experience at international level even if it is with the youth team.
"It shouldn't be seen as players coming back down being some sort of punishment. We have got to make that movement between the squads more fluid," he said.
"It's a positive message, to show they are prepared to come and join in with the rest of the group is important.
"Roy (Hodgson) and myself work very closely every time there's a squad announced and clearly Luke and Calum have been around the senior squad already.
"The fact it's a play-off game Roy was keen that those who he didn't think would start for him were with us. That's the joined-up thinking we're trying to put in place.
"The boys have to come and have the desire to come and do that. They understand the situation because getting to the finals is important."
