With Euro 2024 fast approaching, Gareth Southgate’s England squad is starting to take shape. Ahead of matches against Brazil and Belgium, Telegraph Sport assesses what the squad would look like if selected now:
Goalkeepers
He was involved in the relegation battle at Everton but remained Southgate’s No 1 despite his recent form having proven himself at the World Cup six years ago. It is unthinkable that England will not be the first choice in the Euros.
Roy Hodgson has two English goalkeepers at his disposal this season; Sam Johnstone and Dean Henderson are playing for Crystal Palace. Johnstone did enough to regain his place in Southgate’s squad but also missed matches through injury. He played in Palace’s last four matches.
If Nick Pope were available it would be a dilemma for Southgate. Ramsdale is an excellent team member, training hard and supporting his fellow goalkeepers. Despite being an excellent goalkeeper at 23, he is not playing regularly for Arsenal and is hardly deserving of his place in form.
defenders
Southgate twice talked Walker out of international retirement; That’s how important Walker is to their plans. He is still among the best right-backs one-on-one and can play as a third centre-back. Pep Guardiola, on the other hand, “inverted” him to play in midfield when Manchester City had the ball.
He was removed from the squad in November due to personal reasons and was not included in the March squad due to injury. His form dipped over the Christmas period but given Luke Shaw’s injury he is an important part of Southgate’s squad with his ability to play on either wing and his threat from set-pieces.
The Manchester City centre-back has been at the heart of Southgate’s defense in their most important victory. The question this season has been about his fitness, but he has made 22 club appearances and will be on the plane barring injury.
Southgate remained loyal to Maguire when he was ridiculed by his own supporters, so it’s safe to say he will feature in his plans for Germany. The Manchester United centre-back was forced to return to Manchester United under the management of Erik ten Hag, who looked set to leave the club in the summer.
He is currently recovering from his injury but if he is fit, he is highly rated by Southgate for his excellent displays at Palace and it doesn’t look like that.
get into trouble. He recently quoted Paolo Maldini when talking about going under the radar: “Maldini said that if you have to intervene, you are not in the right position in the first place.”
One centre-back slot will remain and Konsa makes an excellent case for himself ahead of Lewis Dunk, Fikayo Tomori or the versatile Levi Colwill. Konsa recently suffered a knee injury but was included in the Brazil/Belgium double-header.
He returned to action against Leicester at the weekend and has an important role for Southgate as the only left-back currently available. Shaw will return at the end of the season, but that can’t be counted on. Trippier can protect the left flank but will need a specialist in that position.
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midfield
It appeared Trent was up against Kalvin Phillips for the role alongside Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, and the Liverpool player has made himself clear in recent months. Yes, he can also play right back, but what will bring him to this team should be his ability to control games and his passing range.
Jordan Henderson
A move to Ajax has cemented his place in the England club and he is expected to be on the plane to Germany. His leadership is crucial to the team dynamic and he is now playing at a better level than during his ill-fated spell in Saudi Arabia.
Jude Bellingham
La Liga’s top scorer and the player on whom England pin their hopes. All eyes will be on Real Madrid’s star in the last matches of the season. If he stays fit, he will be available for Southgate to play in the advanced midfield position.
Declan Rice
David Moyes recently suggested that the £105 million Arsenal paid in the summer would be a bargain. Considering Rice is such an important part of Arsenal’s title challenge, it’s hard to disagree with him. He can control games and is a better player than he was in the last European Championship.
Forward
He is currently playing well enough to claim a starting place in Southgate’s team after his misfortune against England. The injury ruled him out of the last European final against Italy and he was rested for a yellow card suspension earlier in the tournament. He now looks ready to start the attack from the left.
Harry Kane
England fans held their breath when he got injured at the weekend. Injury scares will be problematic for the country’s most prolific striker in the final weeks of the season.
He is certainly one of Southgate’s starting players as the Euros get underway. His running straight down the right will be an important part of England’s attack as they look to deliver a better performance this time around.
He has suffered a dip in form and injury since winning the Treble last season, but he can still draw fouls with his dribbling and tackle defenders. If he plays enough, he should get on the Euro plane.
After returning to the England team last year, his transfer to Tottenham worked out perfectly. The only thing that threw the wrench in the mix was the injury. But he did enough to secure a place at the World Cup, including going to the World Cup and fighting back from injury during the tournament.
He was in poor form at the start of the season but has recovered in recent weeks and his experience at this level is pushing him to join the team.
Conor Gallagher may be in a sort of ‘wild card’ position in the midfield. Gallagher is the perfect tourist and plays well. However, Eze has the X factor that can lead the game off the bench.
For starters, his penalty-taking ability may be needed in the knockout stages. After serving his suspension for betting rule violations, he returned to the Brentford team as if he had never left.
Two reserve strikers may be too much for Kane, who is guaranteed to start. But Watkins deserves his place on merit and the weight of goals he has scored this season, even if it means a winger like Jarrod Bowen misses out.
