Going into Euro 2020 as the favourites, the England national team will be hoping to live up to expectations and build on their fourth-place finish at the 2018 World Cup. Gareth Southgate has seemingly been dealt the hardest feat of them all, with the media shining their spotlight brightly on his decisions. The 50-year-old took over the Three Lions in late Autumn of 2016 with mixed emotions from English football fans. After the ‘it’s coming home brigade’ was silenced by Croatia in the 2018 World Cup, England have the chance to bring home their first trophy since their winning the prestigious prize in 1966. With all the speculation and consideration by media and football fans alike, the wait is finally over, and we have a confirmed 33-man squad.
Goalkeepers:
Dean Henderson – Age 24, 1 cap, Manchester United
Sam Johnstone – Age 28, Uncapped, West Bromwich Albion
Jordan Pickford – Age 27, 30 caps, Everton
Aaron Ramsdale – Age 23, Uncapped, Sheffield United
Defenders:
Trent Alexander-Arnold – Age 22, 12 caps, 1 goal, Liverpool
Ben Godfrey – Age 23, Uncapped, Everton
Ben White – Age 23, Uncapped, Leeds United
Kyle Walker – Age 30, 55 caps, 0 goals, Manchester City
Ben Chillwell – Age 24, 14 caps, 0 goals, Chelsea
John Stones – Age 26, 42 caps, 2 goals, Manchester City
Harry Maguire – Age 28, 32 caps, 3 goals, Manchester United
Kieran Trippier – Age 30, 26 caps, 1 goal, Atletico Madrid
Conor Coady – Age 28, 4 caps, 1 goal, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Reece James – Age 21, 6 caps, 0 goals, Chelsea
Tyrone Mings – Age 28, 8 caps, 0 goals, Aston Villa
Luke Shaw – Age 25, 9 caps, 0 goals, Manchester United
Midfielders:
Declan Rice – Age 22, 15 caps, 1 goal, West Ham United
Kalvin Phillips – Age 25, 7 caps, 0 goals, Leeds United
Jesse Lingard – Age 28, 27 caps, 4 goals, Manchester United
Mason Mount – Age 22, 16 caps, 4 goals, Chelsea
Jude Bellingham – Age 17, 2 caps, 0 goals, Borussia Dortmund
James Ward-Prowse – Age 26, 6 caps, 1 goal, Southampton
Jordan Henderson – Age 30, 58 caps, 0 goals, Liverpool
Forwards:
Jack Grealish – Age 25, 5 caps, 0 goal, Aston Villa
Phil Foden – Age 20, 6 caps, 2 goals, Manchester City
Mason Greenwood – Age 19, 1 cap, 0 goals, Manchester United
Marcus Rashford – Age 23, 40 caps, 11 goals, Manchester United
Jadon Sancho – Age 21, 23 caps, 3 goals, Borussia Dortmund
Raheem Sterling – Age 26, 61 caps, 14 goals, 14 goals, Manchester City
Dominic Calvert-Lewin – Age 24, 7 caps, 4 goals, 4 goals, Everton
Ollie Watkins – Age 25, 1 cap, 1 goal, 1 goal, Aston Villa
Bukayo Saka – Age 19, 4 caps, 0 goals, Arsenal
Harry Kane (captain) – Age 27, 53 caps, 34 goals, 34 goals, Tottenham Hotspur
There are just three players selected for the English national squad who have made their careers outside of the Premier League. Jude Bellingham, who is the youngest player to grace this Three Lions team at age 17, and also shares his domestic dressing room with Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, with the two both recently crowned DFB Pokal champions in Germany.
The third of the lot, Kieran Tripper, former Tottenham Hotspur defender, left the London based squad for Atletico Madrid, and found the biggest success Spain has to offer winning La Liga in his first full season under Diego Simeone.
The most capped player to make the EURO 2021 squad for Southgate’s squad is non other than Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling, on 61 caps for his nation. Sterling made his first appearance in 2012 for England in a friendly against Sweden, at age 17.
Harry Kane, with all the speculation around his future at Tottenham Hotspur, the England captain wants to set his sites on glory with his nation. Kane is on target to become England’s top scorer over Wayne Rooney’s record of 53 goals, as he sits on 34 goals at the age of 27. The legend in the making could be the one to bring it home to the home of football.
Written by Joshua Gaillard