Gareth Southgate makes brave decision on England Euro 2024 lineup handing first start to player
Gareth Southgate has named his lineup for the Euro 2024 final and there's been a change to the XI the manager has normally picked throughout the tournament.
One game against Spain is all that stands between the England men's team and winning a first major tournament since 1966.
It's their first final on foreign soil and the second during Southgate's time as manager, with his England side having previously reached the Euro 2020 final.
While earlier expectations of the England lineup had indicated that Southgate would name an unchanged team from the one he picked against the Netherlands, he has swapped things around a little bit.
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The only name on the team sheet that's different this time is at left back, as Kieran Trippier is out of the first team and Luke Shaw is in.
It represents something of a gamble for Southgate considering picking Shaw for his squad was something of a risk in the first place, and it's his first start in a game of football for a few months.
The Manchester United defender had not been fit to start at England's first games in Euro 2024 and Southgate had faced criticism for not including a fit left back in his squad, with right back Trippier taking the spot for most of the Three Lions campaign.
With England making it all the way to the final in Euro 2024, Shaw was able to regain his fitness and get back onto the pitch.
Now he's been rewarded by being handed his first start of the tournament.
Ahead of kick-off, Southgate said: "He's an experienced player and we feel his return to play, we've managed pretty well. He clearly gives us that balance on the left."
The England manager also praised Trippier's efforts at left back throughout the tournament, where he has been playing out of position and putting in hard work.
Shaw is one of six England players who started the final at Wembley in 2021 and has also been picked to kick off against Spain tonight (14 July).
England fans might remember he made quite the dramatic impact in that last final, scoring after just a couple of minutes to put the Three Lions ahead.
We can only hope he has a similar impact on the game tonight, with apologies to Spain this writer is going to announce a partisan interest in the outcome of the Euro 2024 final.
England fans on social media welcomed the news that Shaw had been picked in the starting lineup.
Fans said they were hoping the left back would deliver a 'masterclass' and wishing him the best of luck, saying it was a 'huge call' from Southgate and wondering how he'd fare against Spain's 17-year-old wonderkid Lamine Yamal.
England's XI
- Jordan Pickford
- Kyle Walker
- John Stones
- Marc Guéhi
- Bukayo Saka
- Kobbie Mainoo
- Declan Rice
- Luke Shaw
- Phil Foden
- Jude Bellingham
- Harry Kane
Topics: Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate, Football, Sport
Joe Harker