Gareth Southgate announces England squad for Euro 2024 with some big players left out
Here we go lads, Gareth Southgate has picked his preliminary squad for Euro 2024 and - as expected - some big names miss out.
It's our most talented squad since the Gerrard, Scholes and Lampard debacle and England are expected to - at the very least - reach the final of this year's competition.
Rivals Germany are hosting the tournament which is scheduled to take place from 14 June to 14 July. With 24 teams set to compete, it's only Georgia who will make its Euro debut.
Anyway, let's get into it, here's the full squad.
Southgate's preliminary Euro 2024 squad
Advert
Goalkeepers
- Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)
- Jordan Pickford (Everton)
- Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
- James Trafford (Burnley)
Defenders
- Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton)
- Lewis Dunk (Brighton)
- Joe Gomez (Liverpool)
- Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)
- Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)
- Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
- Jarell Quansah (Liverpool)
- Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
- John Stones (Manchester City)
- Kieran Trippier (Newcastle)
- Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders
- Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
- Conor Gallagher (Chelsea)
- Curtis Jones (Liverpool)
- Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
- Declan Rice (Arsenal)
- Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards
- Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
- Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)
- Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)
- Phil Foden (Manchester City)
- Jack Grealish (Manchester City)
- Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
- James Maddison (Tottenham)
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
- Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
- Ivan Toney (Brentford)
- Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Notably, Southgate has to submit his final 26-man group to UEFA by June 7.
Rashford and Sterling miss out
After scoring 30 goals for United last season, no one would have thought we'd be having this conversation 12 months on.
By his own admission, the 26-year-old has struggled in what's been a poor United side who finished eighth in the league this season.
With just seven league goals in 33 games, Marcus Rashford misses out.
Raheem Sterling hasn't really kicked on since his move to Chelsea, with eight goals in 31 games this season.
This comes after being England's best player at the last Euros that took us to the final.
Focus on Foden
Some might argue that this year's Premier League player of the season is finally living up to his potential with a stellar 19 goals and eight assists in 35 league games.
However, the feeling is that he needs to play central like he does for City if we are going to get the best out of him.
"Phil Foden has to play central, he is the Premier League player of the season," football journalist Henry Winter said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"He has been outstanding all season and one of England's two or three world-class players. You have to play him in his best position.
"That means you play two 10s or drop Jude Bellingham slightly deeper and play him as an eight, running from deep."
Former Manchester United defender turned-pundit Gary Neville says that Foden is England's 'most technically gifted player'.
"We can't make the same mistake with Phil Foden as we did with Paul Scholes," he told Sky Sports. "I never thought this while I was playing for England and I used to see Paul Scholes go to the left hand side.
"But looking back now it is a regret that we didn’t see the most technically gifted England footballer play in his best position.
"Foden is the most technically gifted football player and we will regret it if we don’t play him in his best position. That means some difficult decisions have to be made."
'Hey Jude'
Jude Bellingham's world-class display for Real Madrid in his first season has got us all very excited and former England captain Alan Shearer says he can help his country win Euro 2024.
The 20-year-old netted 19 goals in 27 games to help the Spanish giants win yet another La Liga title, as the famous club awaits a Champions League final in Wembley next month.
"He could be the X-factor when you look at what he has achieved," Shearer told PA. “His numbers at Real Madrid this season, his goals and assists, it is just not easy what he has done.
“When you think of going to the might of Real Madrid and playing in that stadium and the pressure you are under for someone so young, you have to use that as an advantage.
“There is no doubt playing for England in a Euros will not phase him in the slightest, you can tell how level-headed he is. He will play a huge part in what England do.”
England's upcoming matches
England will have two warm-up fixtures against Bosnia and Herzegovina (June 3) and Iceland (June 7) before kicking off their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia.
Here are our fixtures for the group stage:
Sunday, 16 June - Group C: Serbia vs England (Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen - kick-off 8pm BST)
Thursday, 20 June - Group C: Denmark vs England (Waldstadion, Frankfurt - kick-off 5pm BST)
Tuesday, 25 June - Group C: England vs Slovenia (RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne - kick-off 8pm BST)
Topics: Sport, Football, Gareth Southgate
Anish Vij