Gareth Southgate has named his final squad for Euro 2024, causing a stir by omitting some big names.
England will travel to this summer’s European Championship as one of the favourites for success despite last week’s setback against Iceland, with Southgate’s squad among the most talented in the tournament.
Such is the depth available to the England manager, that we’ve created an entire 26-man squad of players left at home for Euro 2024.
Hypothetically, how far could this second-string squad go in the tournament?
Goalkeepers: Nick Pope, Jack Butland, James Trafford.
Nick Pope’s injury-hit season with Newcastle saw him omitted from Southgate’s squad for the tournament, despite being a regular in squads since his debut in 2018.
The 32-year-old featured in the Champions League for the first time in 2023-24 and has won 10 caps for the Three Lions, which include becoming the first goalkeeper to have recorded clean sheets in his first six appearances for England.
Jack Butland has had a career kickstart at Rangers this season, while James Trafford was named in Southgate’s provisional squad before being cut. The 21-year-old – the hero of England’s victory at the u-21 European Championship in 2023 with a stoppage-time penalty save in the final – is highly regarded despite a tough season in the Premier League at Burnley.
James Trafford’s 99th-minute penalty save to win England the title ????#U21EURO | @England pic.twitter.com/HpNeiLwulL
— UEFA U17 EURO (@UEFAUnder21) July 9, 2023
Defenders: Reece James, Ben White, Harry Maguire, Jarrad Branthwaite, Fikayo Tomori, Levi Colwill, Ben Chilwell.
Some big names feature, here. Harry Maguire’s failure to prove his fitness in time saw the 31-year-old, named in the Team of the Tournament at Euro 2020, cut from the provisional squad.
I am devastated not to have been selected to play for England at the Euros this summer.
Despite my best efforts, I have not been able to overcome an injury to my calf. Maybe I pushed myself too hard, to try and make it. Simply, I am absolutely gutted.
For me, representing… pic.twitter.com/n7WXMuAzuO
— Harry Maguire (@HarryMaguire93) June 6, 2024
Reece James and Ben Chilwell also missed out after injury-hit seasons at Chelsea, while Ben White’s decision to rule himself out of contention for England is detrimental given his superb season for Arsenal. Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Chelsea’s Levi Colwill will surely add to their fledgling caps in the long term, while Fikayo Tomori continues to impress at AC Milan.
Midfield: Kalvin Phillips, Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, James Ward-Prowse, Curtis Jones, Morgan Gibbs-White, James Maddison, Ross Barkley, Harvey Elliott.
James Maddison expressed his disappointment and surprise at being omitted from England’s final squad, though admitted his sparkling early-season form faded after an ankle injury at Spurs.
Devastated doesn’t quite cut it. Trained well and worked hard all week but if I’m honest with myself, my form for Spurs when coming back from injury in the second half of the season probably wasn’t at the levels I had set which gave Gareth a decision to make. I still thought… pic.twitter.com/LwhIhCPDxS
— James Maddison (@Madders10) June 6, 2024
Kalvin Phillips and Mason Mount are former favourites of Southgate’s whose fortunes have declined, though each has the time and talent to break back into his plans. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and James Ward-Prowse had solid first seasons at AC Milan and West Ham respectively in 2023-24, while Ross Barkley’s renaissance at Luton was one of the feel-good stories of the Premier League campaign.
Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Liverpool pair Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones have excelled in periods in the Premier League and at u-21 level with England.
We’ve not even mentioned the excluded Jordan Henderson, who appears unlikely to add to his 81 England caps after an ill-advised move to the Saudi Pro League 12 months ago, and a stop-start career with Ajax since a transfer to the Netherlands in January.
Forwards: Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, Dominic Solanke, Callum Wilson, Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish were the highest-profile players to miss out on Euro 2024. Rashford, who scored three goals at the 2022 World Cup, saw his form nosedive last season after a career-beat campaign for Manchester United a year prior, while Grealish’s lack of football has cost him a place on the plane despite attributes and an x-factor that suit the international game.
I would always like to have players like @MarcusRashford and @JackGrealish in the team, players who can decide the game with one move!Not selected/good news for us ????????
— Nemanja Matic (@NemanjaMatic) June 7, 2024
Video on why I think Jack Grealish will be missed by #ENG. On the road to Germany for the Euros and found a noisy, windy place at a service station in France to do this ???? #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/ErJhtYKY8m
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) June 9, 2024
Jadon Sancho, who played in the Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund this season, and Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling have fallen out of favour.
At centre-forward, Dominic Solanke’s exclusion from the provisional squad was harsh after 21 goals for Bournemouth this season, while Callum Wilson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have each spent periods as first-choice backup to Harry Kane. Wilson travelled to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while Calvert-Lewin showed flashes of his old self during the run-in for Everton. The latter has four goals in 11 caps for the Three Lions.
Read – Five England players that could move clubs this summer
See more – Five England eligible players representing other nations at Euro 2024
Subscribe to our social channels:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
