Gareth Southgate admits he has tough decisions to make before cutting his Euro squad this Friday and is yet to finalise how to tell players they have been axed from his final 26.
Cole Palmer virtually booked his place with the opening goal in the 3-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, while Southgate named Eberechi Eze, Conor Gallagher and debutant Adam Wharton as players who impressed him at St James’ Park.
“It is a decision where we understand the significance for all of the players,” said Southgate. “So we are giving it the respect and consideration it deserves to make fair, right decisions.
“Of course it is always going to be subjective and we have to balance what we need in every area of the pitch as well so that is the added complication. It is not just getting the best individuals in, there is a positional element to that as well.”
How to tell players they will not be boarding the plane to Germany is still being discussed by Southgate’s staff. “I’ll work that through with the staff and we will decide the best way of doing that,” he said.
After the Bosnia victory, Southgate added: “Individual performances, there were numerous good ones. Clearly, I would imagine Eberechi [Eze] has caught the eye with the way he started the game, the way he glides past people and the power he shows.
“Conor Gallagher was important performance for us given how important Declan [Rice]’s role. We know what he can do without the ball but his work with the ball has improved. He played with real maturity.
“A first goal for Cole Palmer and Adam Wharton showed what he has been doing at the end of the season and in training. He sees pictures early and can play forward. It is very early for him but lovely that he looked as comfortable as he did. So a team that didn’t have many caps when we started, it showed people feel comfortable in an England shirt pretty quickly which was lovely to see.”
Wharton was playing in the Championship with Blackburn until his January-window move to Palace and while he was seen as a young talent getting experience with the squad, Southgate admits he has caught the eye.
“There’s no question he’s impressed us. The biggest thing is to see a picture and play it forward early. That sounds really simple but that hasn’t been so simple over seven-eight years. That type of player.
“There’s a lot still ahead of him. There’s a lot of adjustment. I think the other players have recognised his quality. The positions they take, the way they interact on the training pitch.
“Whenever we call a new player in, they always doubt what we’re doing and think we don’t know what we’re doing. Then they work with these youngsters and go ‘OK, now we see why’. The little cameo was what we’ve seen in training in the last week and what we’ve seen with his club. Big steps to come and more steps to go forward. He’s adapting to everything really well.”
Palmer ‘hopes’ he has done enough to secure a place in Southgate’s squad, with his penalty coming after Kane had tried to come off the bench and take it himself.
“It is a great feeling scoring your first goal for your country. Everyone wants to score for their country so when it went in.
“Of course he [Kane] would have taken it, but thankfully it was just before he came on so I got to score.”
“Not sure, hope so,” Palmer replied when asked whether he had done enough to be on the plane to Germany. “Tonight was probably not my best game. It has been a long season. I was just trying to find my feet, obviously it is my first start for England. Hopefully I will be going to Germany. “
Who is in England’s Euro 2024 group?
England are in Group C with Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia.
When are England’s matches?
- June 16: vs Serbia, Gelsenkirchen, 8pm (BST)
- June 20: vs Denmark, Frankfurt, 5pm (BST)
- June 25: vs Slovenia, Cologne, 8pm (BST)
See our full guide to England’s group opponents and fixtures for Euro 2024
What are England’s odds to win Euro 2024?
- England: 3/1
- France: 4/1
- Germany: 11/2
- Spain: 8/1
- Portugal: 8/1
Odds correct on June 4
