Ramsdale spotted joking with Reece James after pulling out of England duty

Aaron Ramsdale was spotted laughing and joking with Reece James at Twickenham after retiring from international duty.

Ramsdale, 26, was settling in at Southampton after leaving Arsenal last summer, despite the club being bottom of the Premier League.

After losing his number 1 spot at the Emirates to David Raya, he spent most of last season on the bench before leaving the club for the Saints.

After being left out of the England squad earlier this season, he was recalled to the team for the final international break of the year, which saw the Three Lions take on Greece and Ireland.

But he was forced to withdraw after breaking his finger and faces a spell on the sidelines for rehabilitation, with James Trafford called up in his place for the current matches.

But Ramsdale was not about to feel sorry for himself and enjoyed his break at Twickenham with his England team-mate James on Saturday as England took on South Africa.

The defender and goalkeeper were seen laughing on the pitch, at one point hugging each other.

Ramsdale could be seen in a bandage, with his fingers taped and James pointed out the problem as the duo apparently chatted about the injury.

He also posed with a fan in the stands, with the photo showing the significance of the wrapping on his fingers.

The players appeared to discuss how Ramsdale suffered the injury before high-fiving in the rain.

James is currently fit, but has been struggling with injuries for a long time and is trying to find his way back into football.

In recent weeks he has played regularly for Chelsea, where he is captain and often fills in as a left back.

The 24-year-old has made four appearances this season and has not been called up to the England squad. Ramsdale was one of nine players to withdraw from the Three Lions group.

James last played for his province in March 2023 in a Euro 2024 qualifier, and expressed his disappointment at missing out on a place in the World Cup squad for the Qatar tournament in late 2022.

A statement from Southampton revealing the news of Ramsdale's injury read: 'Aaron Ramsdale has been forced to withdraw from the latest England squad due to injury.

'Ramsdale will now remain with the medical staff at Staplewood Campus during the international break.'

Alex McCarthy will replace the stopper while he is out injured, with the club's first game at home to Liverpool after this weekend.

England, meanwhile, lost for the fifth game in a row at Twickenham, going down 29-20 to South Africa.