Gareth Southgate has named his 33-man EURO2024 preliminary squad that will face Bosnia & Herzegovina on June 3, before hosting Iceland at Wembley four days later. UEFA rules only permit a maximum squad size of 26 players, so the 53-year-old must identify at least seven players to omit by the June 7 deadline.
Following the disappointment of EURO2016, England have progressed through to the latter stages of tournaments on a regular basis – but fans have grown tired of Southgate’s squad selections, which appeared to rely heavily on past performances as opposed to current form.
This time around, Southgate’s approach to squad selection appears to have changed entirely. Perhaps the most notable omission in that respect is Jordan Henderson, with the Ajax midfielder having been the centre of criticism from fans after perceived poor performances since his failed move to Saudi Arabia.
Embed from Getty Images‘He missed five weeks and wasn’t able to get back up to the level of intensity. It was a difficult decision,’ Southgate explained in his press conference on Tuesday, stressing that the midfielder ‘will be a miss.’
As for Marcus Rashford’s absence, Southgate merely offered that ‘other players in that area of the pitch have had better seasons.’
It certainly seems to be a summer of transition for England, but expectations are high and many bookmakers have the Three Lions as favourites to lift the prized trophy for the very first time.
Five uncapped players have been named in the preliminary squad, but most eyes will be on Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, who has emerged as one of the country’s most promising midfield talents since bursting onto the scene after signing for the Eagles in the January transfer window.
Of course, with this merely being a preliminary squad, there is no guarantee that the likes of Wharton will make the final cut and fans’ excitement could once again be dampened as the tournament approaches
But for now, England fans will be basking in optimism. Perhaps football really could come home.
The squad
GK: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford
DEF: Jarrad Branthwaite, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, Harry Maguire, Jarell Quansah, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker
MID: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, Curtis Jones, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton
ATT: Jude Bellingham, Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, James Maddison, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins
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