England head coach Gareth Southgate says he is excited to see his side’s attacking talent in action at Euro 2024.
The Three Lions boss named his final squad for the tournament in Germany, cutting his provisional list from 33 to 26.
James Maddison, Harry Maguire and Jack Grealish were among the names left out but there are still plenty of heavy hitters among the final cut.
England came so close to glory at Euro 2020, losing on penalties in the final to Italy and shattering the hearts of thousands who had flocked to Wembley Stadium to watch their nation play for a major trophy.
The island nation have not won a tournament since the 1966 World Cup but there is a different feeling around the squad heading into the event in Germany.
A mix of youth and experience will lead the attack, with Harry Kane captaining the side and having the likes of Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham supporting him.
It’s time to go live with Gareth Southgate and @_DeclanRice from the #ThreeLions camp! 🚨 https://t.co/di5PItdGiV
— England (@England) June 6, 2024
But England now have plenty of capable replacements should they need them, with Jarrod Bowen, Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer and Eberechi Eze all included.
And Southgate is buzzing to see them play for the pride of their nation.
Speaking after announcing his squad, he said: “I’m excited! The other night we had a lot of experienced attacking players not starting and we still had a lot of goals in the team.
“We were still able to bring people off from the bench to score goals, which in my head, in the attacking sense is really crucial.
“Lots of teams could win. It’ a very open tournament. We’re excited about our prospects, we’re experienced, but we know we have to deliver in this moment.
“We’re excited about what we have. Obviously we are going into a tournament with the unknown to what will play out.
Your #ThreeLions for #EURO2024! 🦁 pic.twitter.com/klzkNNTafI
— England (@England) June 6, 2024
“But we have a lot of experience in the group in tournaments but also big matches at club level. All of that adds into the mix of us being a really good team.”
The key to this England side is going to be utilising the experience they have to guide the younger players – some playing at their first major tournament – to where they need to be.
Southgate says he will be calling on his leaders to make a difference this summer and hopes he has made the right call by blending the squad together.
He added: “Leadership is an very important part of any successful team.
“We still have a lot of players with 50 or more caps, Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Declan Rice and Harry Kane.
“Kieran Tripper is very close to that figure. We have young leaders as well, so we’ve always been blessed that we have leaders in the group.”
England’s Euro 2024 campaign gets underway on June 16 against Serbia.
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