Who should be in England's Starting XI for the Euros?

This current crop of English talent is arguably the best squad ahead of the 2024 European Championships and the country are seen as bookies bet to win the competition. This large talent pool will cause Gareth Southgate, England’s current manager, many headaches regarding which XI he will put on the field. This article provides my thoughts on who Southgate should put on the field to bring the Euros home to England.

I will set out the team in a 4-3-3 formation, as this seems to be Southgate’s go to for his England teams.

This, for me, is one of the easier selections in this England side. Pickford has been a main stay throughout Southgate’s tenure and has always proved himself when given then number 1 shirt for his country. Pickford has started 32 games for Everton in the Premier League this season and he always seems to be a reliable force in net for the three lions.

Competition is not slim though, like most positions in this squad, with Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale, Dean Henderson and Sam Johnstone all fighting for the number one jersey. Pope and Ramsdale prove to be the main competitors, however both have not seen as much gamete this season with Ramsdale being leapfrogged by the arrival of David Ray. Pope has been injured for majority of this season and is currently still out with an injury, so his lack of game time will most likely be the reason why Pickford pips him to be England’s number one.

Yes, I’m not starting Kyle Walker at the Euros. Walker is a better 1v1 defender than Trent, and I think everyone can agree with this statement, however TAA’s ability from right back is unmatched in world football, arguably its not even matched by anyone ever. Knockout tournaments are less tactically inclined and rely more on moments of individual brilliance to ultimately win the trophy and who better to provide England with one of those moments. Trent is essentially a NFL style quarter back on a football field with his ability to spray passes all around the field and his selection, for me, proves to be the missing piece that ultimately wins England the tournament.

Should Southgate want both Trent and Walker in the team, he could look to move Alexander-Arnold into the midfield, but we will wait and see what his ultimate decision is. Kieran Trippier has not been in the same form he was last season and Reece James has been riddled by injuries, again, which is why I believe neither of the two will start and may not even make the squad as a whole.

John Stones is England’s best centre back, do I have to say more? The big talking point around this selection will be Harry Maguire, a player with multiple critics, however Maguire has always proved his quality in an England shirt. His brilliant ball-playing abilities, as well as his aerial threat from set pieces prove to be key points to his selection. Maguire has also been in much better form for club this year, even picking up the Premier League Player of the Month for November.

The main competition in this area includes Marc Guehi and Fikayo Tomori, however the Maguire-Stones pairing has always proved to be solid for England under Southgate and is therefore my starting duo for the tournament.

Shaw, like his club teammate Maguire, has always performed well in the white of England and is my choice for left back at the Euros. Southgate seems to trust Shaw and rightly so with his ability to go up and down the entire left flank rivalled by no one else in the England setup. Shaw is currently dealing with a muscle injury, but is expected to be back in May 2024, perfectly in time for the Euros.

Ben Chilwell is the most like-for-like replacement for Shaw, however the Chelsea player has not been in the best of form so far this season, which is why I believe Shaw will beat him to a starting spot at the Euros. Another option which Gareth Southgate could consider, which I almost went with as well, was the utilisation of either Levi Colwill or Joe Gomez starting at left back. Using one of these two would allow England to defend in a back three when they have got the ball and essentially allow Trent Alexander-Arnold to roam and use his immense creative ability to kick start England attacks. Either Shaw or one of the two aforementioned players would be a great option for England and it will be interesting to see which route Southgate follows at the tournament later this year.

Another tap-in selection in my opinion. Since his move to Arsenal at the beginning of the 23/24 season, Rice has just continued to evolve and improve as a footballer. Rice is easily the best player England have in this position and is one of the best at it in the entire world. He is crucial to the way England build up under Southgate and to their overall style as a whole and having him on top form, will be a massive boost to England’s shot at winning the Euros.

Was there ever going to be anyone else? Bellingham is arguably the best player in world football at the moment and will be vital to England’s chances at the Euros. Everyone knew Jude was special, but after his move to Real Madrid, the footballing world has seen a new side to him. Bellingham has added even more goals to his game, currently being the top scorer of LaLiga at the time of writing. Jude also just seems to have the ‘clutch’ gene, stepping up whenever his side need him. The midfield base of Rice and Bellingham is the best in world football, hands down, and is one of the major factors why England are seen as favourites for the tournament.

England are stacked in their attack and Southgate needs to find a way to get his best players on the field, hence why I believe Phil Foden can be part of this midfield three. Foden, like Bellingham, has gone to new levels this season for Manchester City, racking up 32 goal contributions in just 47 games for the blues. City star Kevin de Bruyne has been injured for various periods this season, but is has almost been as if his presence has not been missed, purely down to Foden’s form. He too seems to possess the ‘clutch’ gene and at just 23 years of age, will be a crucial part of this England setup for years to come.

A key theme to this England squad seems to be players going to new levels this season, with Saka being another player who has done so. The first selection to this jaw-dropping front three, is one of the easiest choices for Southgate in the entire squad. Arsenal’s number 7 has managed 31 goal contributions in 43 games this season and has been the driving force behind the clubs race for the Premier League this season. Saka is arguably the best player in the world in his position, rivalled only by Mohammed Salah, and if he brings his club form to the Euros later this year, England have a serious shot at going all the way.

The easiest selection on the field, for me, is the current England captain Harry Kane. Kane left Spurs at the beginning of this season and has continued to show his quality in Germany for Bayern Munich. At the time of writing, Kane has the most goal contributions in Europe this season, playing 41 games with 13 assists and 40 goals!!! Should the prolific number 9 come to this tournament with this form, I don’t see a way in which England do not end up winning the trophy.

Another English striker who has been superb this season is Ollie Watkins, leading the English Premier League in assists and lying in 2nd place in the race for the golden boot. Watkins would arguably be starting for every other European nation in this form, but finds himself unlucky that the Three Lions currently possess the best striker in world football.

This position is one of the hardest to pick, however Gordon has been a revelation for Newcastle this season and has proven to be amongst the leagues best wingers. His 1v1 threat while running with the ball as well as his clinical finishing in front of goal have been the main reasons for the wingers outstanding form this season. Although I believe that Gordon is currently the best pick to finish this front three, Southgate choosing to go with another option would not be too detrimental at all. Both Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford could find themselves starting in this position and the attack would not suffer in any way.

Rashford has not been in his scintillating form from the season prior, however he always seems to turn it on when given an opportunity in the England squad and my ultimate pick was between him and Gordon, with the latter just beating him to the spot purely due to his form this season.