Gareth Southgate

England followed up reaching the World Cup semi-final in 2018 by making their first major final in 55 years, where they lost to Italy on penalties at Euro 2020 at Wembley Stadium last July.

Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho all missed from 12 yards against Gianluigi Donnarumma, before the English trio were met with racial abuse online in the aftermath of the defeat.

England players and supporters rallied in support of Rashford, Saka and Sancho as the messages were greeted with widespread condemnation.

Bellingham has admitted his shock and disgust at seeing fellow young, black team-mates sent such abuse as he called for change.

"You look at the run into that final and you felt as though the country had united," 18-year-old Bellingham told The Mirror.

"Then as soon as they missed a penalty, they were not English, just black. Anyone can miss a penalty. Anyone can make a mistake in their line of work.

"But to be criticised like that should never happen. They are human.

"They are all top, top characters. To see them brought down like that was disgusting. As a team-mate it's hard to take because that could have been me. What if I'd missed a penalty? You're English for seven games and then all of a sudden, you're nothing.

"I know these are select idiots, of course, and it's not the whole nation turning against them. I'm sure that they probably had a bigger comeback of support. But the only support they should need is for missing the penalty, not for the racism that they've received after it."

Gareth Southgate labelled the abuse as "unforgivable" as he insisted his England team were a side built around bringing a country together, with players from a variety of backgrounds.

Bellingham expressed his gratitude towards the England manager's response, hailing the work Southgate is doing to make the Three Lions setup inclusive and open.

"To be fair, Gareth Southgate was brilliant," the Borussia Dortmund midfielder added. "He has always brought it up as a topic in meetings when we are aware that we going to [a country with a history of racism].

"We went to Hungary shortly after the Euros and the same thing happened again but we felt more prepared. We felt more supported because of what Gareth had put in place. As a black player you feel very grateful for that."

Bellingham was fined £34,000 by the German FA for his outburst questioning the appointment of referee Felix Zwayer in a 3-2 loss to Bayern Munich last December.

The Dortmund midfielder referenced Zwayer's six-month ban from refereeing in 2005, with Bellingham saying more was made of that episode than his first experience receiving racist messages.

"There's not a single job in the world where you deserve to be criticised with racism," he said. "I'll never forget the first time I properly got a batch of messages.

"My club were quick to send someone to message me and make sure I was alright and I really appreciate that. I had team-mates message me and family members.

"I didn't receive anything from the DFB or FA. And I always kind of compare it to when I said the thing about the referee in December.

"They were very quick to get into contact to give me my fine, give me my punishment and kind of make it a big drama in the media."

The Liverpool vice-captain, who operates as a right-back for his club, has featured alongside Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham in England's win over Serbia and draw against Denmark on Thursday. 

Alexander-Arnold's inclusion in Gareth Southgate's midfield was a huge talking point heading into the tournament, yet it remains to be seen whether he will continue in that role in their final Group C fixture against Slovenia. 

The 25-year-old has been replaced in both games by Conor Gallagher in the second half, despite no player created more chances (3) or played more line-breaking passes in the final third (5) for England against Denmark than Alexander-Arnold. 

"Trent's a top player and I don't think anything phases him in terms of wherever he's playing, right back, left back, middle of the park," Bowen said. 

"So yeah, like I said, he's a top player and he understands what it takes to adapt to a new role, I suppose.

"Everyone's so close here, there's lots of conversations after games when people have done well. But like I said, he has got to adapt and now he's playing it."

Bowen himself has had to adapt to a new role at West Ham, having spent his previous four seasons predominantly in the wide attacking areas. 

However, injuries to Michail Antonio saw Bowen play much of the 2023-24 season as a centre-forward, scoring seven of his 16 league goals from that position. 

"Every role requires different things. I'm predominantly a right-winger, if I play on the left it's going to be different with the way I dribble with the ball," Bowen said. 

"I like to dribble inside when I'm out on the right being left-footed and then when you're playing left wing you're dribbling down the outside because it's your stronger foot. Little things like that can go into learning a new position.

"Striker again is obviously different. I think Trent, the way he plays and the way he passes the ball, and you see those long-range passes that he does. I think the energy that he's got to get into the box as well.

"I saw him the other night getting really high up the pitch as well. Like I said, the quality when he puts that ball into the box as well. It's a real big credit to him.

"I think he's adapted well to the thing. It's never easy. I can speak from experience of going to, not a new position, because you know, for me, I always found myself at centre-forward, even when I was playing on the wing.

"So, you kind of just kind of naturally edge towards that position kind of anywhere when you're playing the position. It's never easy, but you know how to change as a top player, and I know that he's adapted really well to the challenge."

Gareth Southgate has until midnight on June 1 to cut his squad down to 26, but he will have time to assess players in training ahead of friendlies against Austria and Romania on June 2 and June 6 respectively.

Alexander-Arnold had been the headline name to miss out on England's squad for the March internationals, but the Liverpool full-back does feature in this extended list.

He is joined by Reds team-mate Jordan Henderson, who has not featured for Liverpool since sustaining an injury in the Merseyside derby in February, while Manchester United captain Maguire, who is currently struggling with an ankle ligament problem, is also included.

The 20-year-old defender played the whole game as England ran out 1-0 victors at Wembley, making the step up from winning the European Under-21 Championship in the summer.

Having spent last season on loan at Brighton, Colwill has started all eight of Chelsea’s Premier League games so far this term.

He earned a first senior call-up from Gareth Southgate last month but had to wait until Friday’s friendly against the Socceroos to make his bow.

“It was amazing,” he told beIN Sports.

“(A win and a clean sheet is) the best way to have a debut and hopefully we can build off the performance against Italy as a team and individuals and go from there.”

Having progressed through the ranks for both club and country as primarily a centre-back, Colwill started on the left of defence against Australia and has also operated there for Chelsea in recent weeks.

“Obviously, it is a different role,” he said.

“But I have been playing there for my club and I am enjoying it and if it gives me a chance to start and to play, I’m all for it.”

Southgate made 10 changes for the game as a blend of fringe players and young talent was given the chance to stake a claim.

The England manager admitted afterwards that he had given his team a “difficult task” as a lack of “cohesion” made for a tougher evening than he would have liked.

“We have had a few days, we met on Monday so we have been training hard,” Colwill added on the unfamiliar look to the team.

“Getting to know players is obviously tough as that isn’t a lot of time but I think we put in a performance we can be proud of and we have just got to build from there.”

Earlier this week it was confirmed by UEFA that Euro 2020, which had been scheduled to begin on June 12, had been pushed back a year due to the spread of COVID-19 and its chaotic impact on the sporting calendar.

It is hoped the suspension will ensure domestic seasons and continental cup competitions can resume and be completed in the window when the Euros were due to happen.

Southgate, whose team have seen friendlies against Italy and Denmark this month cancelled, has written a letter to England fans telling them not to "spend another moment thinking about the postponement" while paying tribute to those working to combat coronavirus.

"For everyone in our country, the primary focus of the present - and the coming months - is undoubtedly to look after our families, support our communities and work together to come through what it clearly the most extreme test that we've faced collectively in decades," Southgate said.

"On behalf of all the teams and staff, I would like to take this opportunity to send our sympathies to those who have lost loved ones already. Our thoughts are with you and with those who sadly will suffer similarly in the coming period."

He added: "We were due to play next week and to represent you all this summer, but now is clearly not the moment for us to take centre-stage.

"The heroes will be the men and women who continue working tirelessly in our hospitals and medical centres to look after our friends and families. They won't receive the individual acclaim, but we all know their importance is beyond anything we do on the pitch.

"When we play again as an England team, it will be a time when not only our country but the rest of the world as well is on the road to recovery. Hopefully we will be closer to each other than ever, and ready for the beautiful distraction that football can bring.

"To play in a European Championship next summer will still be possible for all of our squad and so we shouldn't spend another moment thinking about the postponement of the competition.

"I feel sure that, when that moment comes, I will never have been prouder to be the leader."

Southgate's preparations for the match were thrown into flux when Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood were banished from the squad for breaking coronavirus protocols in the aftermath of Saturday's 1-0 win over Iceland.

Conor Coady and Kalvin Phillips made their debuts but a solitary blocked shot was all England had to show for their forgettable first-half efforts, with Kasper Dolberg almost giving Denmark a deserved lead.

Harry Kane had a stoppage-time effort hacked off the line by Mathias Jorgensen when Kasper Schmeichel erred, but that near-outcome would have flattered England.

Southgate's tactical switch saw his side control significant chunks of possession early on, although the front three of Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho and captain Kane were frequently isolated. 

Denmark went closest to the breakthrough before half-time - Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite flashing a 31st-minute shot past the post from the edge of the area before Dolberg brought a fine save from Jordan Pickford, Christian Eriksen having left former Tottenham team-mate Eric Dier in his wake.

Eriksen clumping a 65th-minute free-kick high into the stand behind Pickford was a less astute contribution to a contest that continued to plod.

England belatedly crafted a clear opening with a little over 20 minutes remaining, with Kane unable to convert Kieran Trippier's left-wing cross at the far post.

Kasper Schmeichel then saved unconvincingly from Sterling, with Mason Mount's introduction in place of Sancho having belatedly injected some playmaking impetus for the visitors.

Eriksen hacked over from 10 yards under timely pressure from Joe Gomez before Kane almost made it two last-gasp wins from two.

What does it mean: Southgate must ditch imbalanced plan B

Fingers will be pointed at England's formation after this tepid affair, but Southgate's squad is full of players used to switching systems frequently under some of the most innovative coaches in the game. The problem here was a lack of balance, with right-footed players deployed in the left of the back three, on the left flank and on that side of the forward trident.

Mount's introduction paid obvious dividends and should have come sooner, although Southgate does have the inconvenience of planning around Foden and Greenwood's indiscretions as mitigation when assessing a bad night at the office.

Eriksen shows his class

The experienced playmaker has a point to prove at Inter this season but frequently posed eloquent questions that seemed beyond England's midfield. His three shots were more than any other Denmark player.

Rice turns in stodgy showing

Southgate is committed to giving Rice a run of games as his midfield anchorman and it is time for the West Ham man to start repaying some of that faith. His pass completion rate was only 76.7 per cent, with debutant Phillips looking far more adept in a game both players did not need to start.

What's next?

Matchday three in Group A2 sees England host Belgium, with Denmark travelling to Iceland. Roberto Martinez's men have six points after dismantling Iceland 5-1.

However, the Three Lions have had a stinker of a Nations League campaign in 2022, having failed to win any of their four games in June.

A 1-0 defeat in Hungary was followed by a draw in Germany thanks to a late Harry Kane penalty, before a dull 0-0 at Molineux against Italy and an abysmal performance in their 4-0 defeat to Hungary at the same venue.

Three months on from that chastening loss in Wolverhampton, manager Gareth Southgate picked his squad for the final two Nations League games against Italy and Germany, and while there was a new face in Brentford striker Ivan Toney, it was otherwise more of the same, with some notable absentees too.

In February, Southgate said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph: "I'm very conscious I've got to get the balance right because ultimately my responsibility is to produce a winning England team.

"I never pick on reputation; form has to come into it. You have to look at the opposition and the type of game you're expecting and select the players best suited to that."

It therefore raised some eyebrows when some players who have subjectively been somewhat out of form in the opening weeks of the season, and who were at the scene of the crime in previous disappointing England results, kept their places ahead of others who have stepped up their game domestically in recent weeks.

Stats Perform has taken a look at some who were perhaps lucky to get another call, and others unfortunate to miss out in the last Three Lions squad before the World Cup.

Who made it?

Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw

It makes sense to pair the two Manchester United defenders, as the reasons why they can consider themselves lucky to keep their international places are essentially the same.

Maguire and Shaw received their fair share of blame for United's poor showings in recent years, and it came to a head in the 4-0 defeat at Brentford in the second game of this season's Premier League campaign, having already lost at home to Brighton and Hove Albion.

New boss Erik ten Hag dropped both after that, and United have won four from four in the league since.

Left-back Shaw has been reduced to occasional substitute appearances after losing his starting spot to young Dutchman Tyrell Malacia, while Maguire has been ousted by France centre-back Raphael Varane.

The only game in the past five Maguire has started was at home to Real Sociedad in the Europa League, which United lost 1-0.

That is not to say the duo are solely responsible for the insipid showings from their team, but it also doesn't feel like purely coincidence Ten Hag's men's results immediately improved without them.

Jarrod Bowen

This might be a little harsh as Bowen was being championed by everyone to be included on form last season, which he was, featuring in all four Nations League games in June.

However, having scored 18 goals in 51 games in all competitions last season for West Ham, Bowen has managed just two in 10 this season, both of which have come in the Europa Conference League.

The Hammers have struggled for form this season, sitting in 18th place after seven games, so it would be unfair to blame Bowen, but he also failed to make much of an impact in any of his England appearances.

The door certainly should not be shut on an undoubtedly talented player, but it seems odd to see him back with the national team after a noticeable drop in form at a time when others in his position are excelling.

Jack Grealish

Arguably the player who causes most debate in England, Grealish will always feel too talented to leave out.

Comparisons to Paul Gascoigne seem lazy, but it's hard not to resort to them when you see him at his best, able to turn a game on his own if he finds that spark almost all other players lack.

Grealish had a poor first season at Manchester City, though, recording just 10 goal involvements (six goals, four assists) in 39 games.

He scored and played well in the 3-0 win at Wolves last weekend, but it was his first goal involvement in six appearances this season, and while he is clearly capable of being a key part of Southgate's team on his day, his form arguably does not justify inclusion at the moment.

Who missed out?

Ben White

The Arsenal defender is a difficult one to champion, frankly, because it's not clear what position you would be arguing for.

White did not really blow anyone away at centre-back in his first season with the Gunners but has thrived at right-back in Mikel Arteta's system so far this campaign.

If Southgate is to go back to his favoured three-at-the-back formation, White on the right of that would make sense, albeit Kyle Walker probably has the shirt right now.

White is improving all the time, though, and has played a big part in Arsenal winning six of their first seven Premier League games, and his versatility would be a bonus.

James Maddison

Possibly the man most justified in feeling miffed at missing out as, unlike the other three in this list, Maddison is rarely ever seen in an England squad, despite his output at club level.

Although he has been named in squads before, Maddison has just one cap, which came when he played 35 minutes against Montenegro in November 2019.

Like Grealish, Maddison can be seen as enigmatic, but his recent form for Leicester City speaks for itself.

He has been directly involved in 24 Premier League goals since the start of last season (15 goals, nine assists). The only English player with more in this time is Harry Kane (33) having made three more appearances than Maddison (44 to 41).

Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford

As their United team-mates were paired up, it makes sense to do the same here, and because their turn around in form has synced up as the Red Devils have won five of their past six games.

Sancho struggled to make an impact in his first season back in England, with just eight goal involvements (five goals, three assists) in 38 games.

However, this season he already has three goals in eight matches, showing glimpses of his Borussia Dortmund form.

Rashford ended a run of 997 minutes without a goal in all competitions for Manchester United when he scored against Liverpool in August, and netted another two against Arsenal as his scoring touch returned at Old Trafford.

The duo were a part of England's squad that reached the final of Euro 2020, but both also played a part in the penalty shoot-out loss to Italy.

That does not mean they cannot be of use in Qatar, and it would seem foolish of Southgate to ignore players already proven at international level who seem to be peaking at just the right time for a mid-season tournament.

Ultimately, as Southgate said, it is his job to build a team he thinks can win games. It is hard to argue with a record that has seen England reach the final four of the 2018 World Cup and the final of Euro 2020.

He also said "form has to come into it" rather than it being the be all and end all.

Rather than "reputation", perhaps Southgate is just picking players he knows, therefore allowing him full awareness of what he is going to get if he selects them. Heading into a World Cup is not really the time to be introducing unknown quantities.

The likes of White and Maddison will be well within their rights to blame the former Middlesbrough boss for them continuing to be relatively unknown to him, though.

Since the Premier League resumed in June 2020 following a coronavirus-enforced lay-off, players and management have taken the knee prior to kick-off in a display against racial discrimination and injustice.

The act has also translated to the international stage, with the England team showing their support.

However, before Wednesday's friendly win over Austria in Middlesbrough, some sections of the socially distanced, limited-capacity crowd at the Riverside Stadium booed the demonstration, although other spectators responded with applause.

Having said after the game that some people "were not understanding the message", Southgate vowed on Saturday not to bend to the naysayers. He also insisted his players would not be fielding questions on the topic during the Euros.

"We feel more determined than ever to take the knee," Southgate told a news conference ahead of Sunday's final pre-tournament friendly against Romania. 

"Those people should put themselves in the shoes of the young players.

"How would they feel if their kids were in that situation? We feel more than ever determined to take the knee during the tournament.

"We accept there might be an adverse reaction, and we're just going to ignore that and move forward."

It was a sentiment echoed by midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who added: "I was just happy that the boos got cancelled out by the fans cheering in the end, but I don't think it's a great situation, especially for us players.

"All we can do is just focus on the game and speak about it afterwards.

"The team spoke about it together and we came up with the conclusion that regardless of what goes on around, we're still going to participate in the kneeling, and I think that's a great idea."

Gareth Southgate's team appeared to be heading for an early exit in Gelsenkirchen after Ivan Schranz opened the scoring midway through the first half with his third goal of the Euros.

Phil Foden saw an equaliser disallowed soon after the interval and Declan Rice was denied by the post late on, only for Bellingham to deliver a heroic overhead-kick equaliser five minutes into stoppage time.

Kane then headed home from point-blank range just 50 seconds into extra time for the fastest such goal in Euros history, stealing victory from the jaws of defeat to tee up a last-eight meeting with Switzerland.

England suffered an early blow as Marc Guehi's third-minute caution saw him ruled out of the last-eight clash through suspension, while Slovakia twice went close in the early stages.

David Hancko drove narrowly wide before England were nearly caught out again when Lukas Haraslin's deflected effort almost slipped past Jordan Pickford.  

A lacklustre England defence was finally punished after 25 minutes as David Strelec rolled through for Schranz to brush off Guehi before poking into the bottom-left corner.

England thought they had levelled just minutes after the interval, only for Foden to be ruled offside from Kieran Trippier's selfless cross before a routine tap-in.

The Three Lions survived a scare soon after as John Stones switched off from a short free-kick, with Strelec almost lobbing Pickford from the centre-circle.

Cole Palmer was eventually introduced after 66 minutes, with the ineffective Bukayo Saka moved to left-back, but that change did little to alter England's fortunes.

Kane headed wide a glorious opportunity from Foden's free-kick, while Rice cannoned a driving effort against the woodwork from range – but England would be saved by Bellingham.

Kyle Walker's long throw-in was nudged on by Guehi before Bellingham wrong-footed Martin Dubravka with an astonishing overhead finish from the penalty spot, keeping England alive in the dying seconds.

That joy turned to further jubilation moments into the additional 30 minutes as Eberechi Eze's scuffed volley found Ivan Toney, who flicked into the path of Kane to head past Dubravka from point-blank range.

Peter Pekarik should have levelled after 105 minutes but somehow lifted over from the back post as England scraped into the quarter-finals following a thriller at Arena AufSchalke.

England still alive, barely

Kane (79) overtook Peter Shilton (78) as the player with the most ever competitive appearances for England, but a landmark outing appeared set to turn sour.

England had won five of six previous meetings with Slovakia but, as was the case against Iceland in 2016, the Three Lions were somewhat toothless against what FIFA's world rankings would perceive to be a lesser side.

Yet unlike against Iceland, England had a new hero in Bellingham as his goal, timed at 94 minutes and 34 seconds, marked the latest goal for his country in Euros history.

That paved the way for a familiar face to wrap up a remarkable turnaround as Kane scored his 14th goal in major tournaments – only four European players have ever managed more.

Cristiano Ronaldo (22), Miroslav Klose (19), Gerd Muller (18) and Jurgen Klinsmann (16) are the quartet to achieve the feat, and Kane will hope to catch the latter when England meet Switzerland next time out.

Super Schranz heroics in vain

Schranz has scored three goals in four games for Slovakia at Euro 2024, as many as he had netted in 22 games for his country coming into the tournament (three).

The forward is now the joint-top scorer at this tournament, while only Robert Vittek at the 2010 World Cup (four) has ever scored more goals for Slovakia at a major tournament.

Yet Schranz's heroics for Matjaz Kek's side ultimately proved in vain as Slovakia were finally undone by late England pressure, with Southgate's side equalising from their first shot on target.

Though this battling performance will deservedly bring plaudits, Slovakia have now lost six of seven meetings with England and are heading home from Euro 2024.

After a build-up dominated by the brouhaha over an altered St George’s flag on the back of the new shirt and talk about the manager’s future, Saturday’s glamour friendly between these injury-hit sides failed to live up to the hype.

Southgate’s side survived a few scares on a night that was heading towards a goalless conclusion until 17-year-old Endrick’s first senior international goal secured a 1-0 win at a sold-out Wembley.

This was England’s first defeat since their World Cup quarter-final exit to France 15 months ago, with the meek end to their 10-match unbeaten run leading to early exits and some grumbles at the final whistle.

Brazil had been on a run of three straight losses but, under new boss Dorival Junior, had the best chances of a stop-start opening period that saw Lucas Paqueta hit the post and somehow escape a second yellow card.

Vinicius Jr and Raphinha also had chances for the Selecao, with the former’s late shot leading to teenager Endrick’s matchwinner as England made a poor start to a year they hope will go down in history.

The 50-year-old has volunteered to join the HEADING study, led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

A second independently led study by the University of Nottingham, called FOCUS, is being backed by funding from the Football Association and Professional Footballers' Association.

It is hoped the research can further understanding of possible links between professional footballers and an increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders. Former England international Nobby Stiles had dementia when he died last year, while fellow 1966 World Cup winner Bobby Charlton has the disease.

"This is an incredibly important issue in our game and I'm very happy to play my part in supporting this research," Southgate said via the FA.

"Having turned 50 last year, I am now eligible to take part in the HEADING study, which could provide crucial and valuable insight to help people who play the game now and in the future.

"I would encourage any former professional footballer who is willing and able to take part in the HEADING or the FOCUS study to do so.

"Our involvement is absolutely essential if we are to have a greater understanding of this issue;

Kane, 30, swapped boyhood club Tottenham for the Allianz Arena in a deal that could be worth £100million.

He had been linked with a move away from Spurs for the past few summers, including while heading into tournaments as England skipper.

Now Kane’s future has been sorted, during a year where England were not relying on his goals, Southgate is pleased to see him hit the ground running at Bayern.

“I definitely think from a selfish England perspective it’s good that his future’s settled now for the next few years,” the England manager said.

“I think potentially that can be a distraction for players. But also it’s good for him that he’s got to go and perform at a new club now. He’s been at one club for so long.

“To have a change means you’ve got to impress new team-mates, new staff, new fans and also there’s the life experience of having the breadth of adjusting to a new country. I think there’s a lot of positives there.”

As England and Tottenham’s all-time leading goalscorer, Kane has already hit three goals in his first two Bundesliga appearances and will be aiming to win trophies this season to break his duck.

He lost two League Cup finals and the 2019 Champions League final at Tottenham but, with Bayern having won the last 11 Bundesliga titles, Kane could finally get his hands on a winners’ medal.

“I’m sure for his own belief that would be brilliant,” Southgate added.

“I’m not sure that he’s going to become a better player but there might be other aspects of the mentality that this move will help him with.

“They’re probably the bits that as you get older are the only bits you can improve upon.

“I think the Bundesliga is a bit different to some of the other leagues we’ve talked about, a bit more transitional.

“There is an intensity to that. We’ll have all the data on that from training sessions and matches, so we’re able to track that really closely.

“I think the big difference for Harry this year will be that there’s going to be a lot of games where they’re very dominant and in the opposition third of the pitch, so I think there will be a lot more play for him in penalty box I suspect than he had in the last couple of seasons.”

Having kicked off Euro 2024 qualification with wins over Italy and Ukraine, attention turns to June’s straightforward-looking doubleheader against Malta and North Macedonia.

Sterling is the most eye-catching absentee for those games as a difficult first season since swapping Manchester City for Chelsea comes to a frustrating conclusion.

The 28-year-old has not played for England since the World Cup quarter-final exit to France – when a burglary at home disrupted his preparations – as injury ruled him out of the March camp.

“I spoke with him a week or so ago – a general catch-up,” England boss Southgate said.

“He’s not happy physically with his condition, having been carrying a hamstring problem. He really wasn’t in consideration.

“So, we didn’t get to the point of whether he should be in or out. He doesn’t think he is operating at the level he needs.”

A representative for Sterling called it a “mutual decision” that allows the player to focus on “recuperating his body in preparation for the upcoming season”.

The 28-year-old is determined to play a key role for England next term and Southgate says he can get back into the fold ahead of next year’s finals, as can omitted Tottenham defender Eric Dier.

“As we’ve shown with Tyrone (Mings) coming back (this time) and other players like Trent (Alexander-Arnold) coming back in, the door is always open when players are playing well,” Southgate told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Eric and Raheem both have physical issues really at the moment that they’re dealing with, so there’s part of that is behind that decision as well.

“But there’s another year to go before the Euros and it’s possible for everybody to get in that squad.”

Mings, Alexander-Arnold, Callum Wilson and Sam Johnstone returned to the England squad as Southgate has largely stuck with the tried and tested for the Group C games, with Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eze the only uncapped player named in the group.

The 24-year-old finally get his shot with England after an Achilles injury cost him a place in the provisional Euro 2020 squad.

“We have liked him for a long time,” Southgate said.

“He was very unfortunate just before the Euros. We were going to call him into a prep camp to have a look at him and he got a bad injury.

“I remember talking to Roy Hodgson about him then and Roy telling me he’d picked up an injury in training that day.

“I think he has finished the season really strongly, he can play in a couple of positions across that attacking line.

“He’s a goal threat, he’s got nice ability and bursts of speed to go past people and to take people out of the game with dribbling skills.

“We’re looking forward to seeing him a bit closer and everybody I speak to talks brilliantly about him as a person as well.”

Dunk has played for England but the Brighton captain has not been selected since winning his first cap against the United States in November 2018.

“Brighton’s football this year has been exceptional and Lewis Dunk and Levi Cowell have been a big part of that,” Southgate said.

“He’s shown great composure with the ball, he’s asked to defend very often one against one situations and he thoroughly deserves his call.”

The squad also includes Marcus Rashford, who missed March’s fixtures and last featured for England in a qualifier in the run to the last Euros.

“He’s a super player who’s had a really good season, so he’s an important player for us,” Southgate told talkSPORT.

“We’ve not been blessed with having him to be able to put in the team too often but we’re hoping that’s different. And we’re looking forward to seeing him again.”

There is no place for Ben White, who has not featured for England since leaving Qatar after the World Cup group stage due to personal reasons.

“I spoke with Ben before the camp in March,” Southgate added.

“But at the moment, we’ve got (Kieran) Trippier and (Kyle) Walker in that area of the pitch.

“He’s had a very good season, as have the whole Arsenal team, but he’s not ahead of those guys at the moment.”

The Three Lions head coach has come under pressure recently following a difficult spell of form that culminated in relegation from League A after defeat by Italy on Friday.

Indeed, England have now gone six matches without a win for the first time since 1993. But they showed brilliant character against Germany on Monday, recovering from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 at Wembley, before Kai Havertz denied them victory.

And Southgate is confident the sticky patch will benefit his players as all eyes turn towards the World Cup, which sees the 1966 winners face Iran in their Group B opener on November 21.

"As a group, they have really come together this week," he told Channel 4. "It has been a tough period for team, but they have grown.

"To an extent, we are always going to face pressure, so we need to be exposed to pressure. We played a friendly against the Ivory Coast in March and they went down to 10 men, and it became a non-event and we learnt nothing.

"This week, we've learnt a huge amount. They've had to step forward and come together. It will benefit us in the long run.

"In the end, a couple of errors have cost us the goals, but I'll focus on the fact they played with tremendous spirit and showed a belief that we haven't shown in the last few games. I thought the crowd saw that and rose to that."

Meanwhile, captain Harry Kane insisted there were plenty of positives for he and his team-mates to build on heading into Qatar.

The Tottenham forward marked his 50th start as England captain – becoming the fifth player to achieve the feat – with his 51st international goal, which moves him two away from equalling Wayne Rooney's all-time Three Lions record.

"The mentality and fight of the team was shown out there today. We didn't get the win, but we can be proud of what we did," Kane said.

"The boys have been under pressure with recent results and we all came out here with a point to prove. But there are lessons; we can still learn from the mistakes we made, but we scored three goals and I feel like this will put us in a positive mindset ahead of the World Cup.

"We've upped our game as we've gone along in the last two major tournaments. We dust ourselves down. We know we have to improve but there isn't that much time now with England before that first game [against Iran].

"But we'll go away with our clubs and hopefully everyone goes away fit, strong and is ready to come back in November."

Southgate's England were penalty shoot-out losers to Italy in the final of the delayed Euro 2020, having also suffered World Cup semi-final elimination at the hands of Croatia in 2018.

The Three Lions, as per FIFA's rankings, are the third-best side in the world at present – behind only World Cup holders Argentina and fellow European side France – ahead of the likes of Belgium, Brazil and Netherlands.

With Germany's Euro 2024 on the horizon, starting on June 14, former England goalkeeper James says the Three Lions should not expect to win the tournament, though have no reason to not believe if things go to plan.

He told Stats Perform: "It's a difficult one - it's almost like trying to predict this game a week before the kick-off. I think realistic success for an England team is getting to semi-finals, or ideally finals.

"I was there like many at the Euro 2020 final against Italy, and it was heartbreaking. It's literally two penalties difference between us and Italy winning.

"I think that's still a success. Of course, people want that trophy and naturally you'd like England to win the trophy.

"Italy proved it, albeit for one tournament – they haven't been any good since then – but they were the best team [in the world]. They had the best tactics and in the end they ended up winning the tournament.

"So until the tournament starts, it's difficult… whether Spain, whether Germany, as everyone always talks about being successful in tournaments, whatever.

"I just think that England go in there not expecting to win it, but knowing that there is a chance if things go right, they can win it. I'm personally cheering them on all the way."

Though England will harbour hopes of going deep into the European Championship knockout stages once again, Southgate's future at the helm remains unclear.

His contract is due to expire in December this year, with reports linking Southgate to Manchester United's managerial position after the involvement of new shareholder Jim Ratcliffe, though England insist the focus is with the next task at hand.

James believes the Football Association (FA) is ready in preparation for whatever the future holds, suggesting England's success has not solely fallen on Southgate but rather the organisation's operation process as a whole.

He added: "I think it's interesting. When you look at Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, they're two managers that are, we can talk about them as individuals, but their whole success is based on how that club is set up.

"Any replacement for Jurgen, and for Pep Guardiola as well at some point, the manager will have to fit into the club's idea of how they improve the club essentially – I think England is exactly the same.

"Gareth is at the helm at the moment as a manager, but I don't think it's just down to Gareth. I think it's down to a very, very strong network of people around him to the point that he can make a decision that he doesn't want to do it anymore or whatever, stay on.

"I think the only way that he gets asked to leave is if England do desperately bad in a tournament. Other than that, then it's his call.

"I think it's more about Gareth but whoever and whenever he's replaced, they will be going into a setup which is suited by the FA rather than the manager who's trying to set things up themselves."

As to whether Southgate's tenure would be seemed a success without silverware, James placed his backing in the England manager.

"There's a lot of people who would say that England needs to win something for him to have had a good tenure as a manager," he continued. "But I would argue that I think he's been fantastic.

"He took England to a final and a semi-final and I hope in the Euros that he can do the same. I'm confident England will do well."

A year-and-a-half on from reaching the Euro 2020 final on home turf, England were edged out 2-1 in the quarter-finals of Qatar 2022 by France.

The tournament nevertheless marked a turnaround in form for the Three Lions after a dismal Nations League campaign, underlining Southgate's record in his role.

But the former Middlesbrough boss acknowledged he needed time to ensure he made the right call in choosing to remain on board.

"I never want to be in a position where my presence is affecting the team in a negative way," he told BBC Sport.

"I didn't believe that was the case, but I just wanted a period after the World Cup to reflect and make sure that was still how it felt."

"Is it the right thing to keep taking this project on? I wanted to make sure I'm still fresh and hungry for that challenge. [It is] the greatest privilege of my life.

"The quality of performances and the progress that we're making [shows] the team [is] still improving. We're all gaining belief in what we're doing."

England face a banana-skin qualification pathway for Euro 2024, with defending champions Italy, Ukraine, North Macedonia and Malta in their group.

The Three Lions will play the former two sides in March as they begin their campaign working towards next year's tournament in Germany.

Harry Maguire, Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood have all been involved in high-profile incidents in recent months that led to them being dropped from Three Lions duty. 

A breach of coronavirus isolation rules while in Iceland proved costly for Manchester City playmaker Foden and Manchester United forward Greenwood in September. 

The pair appeared to be shown in a Snapchat video posted by one of the women they were said to be socialising with at England's team hotel in Iceland, a meeting then forbidden under the country's strict rules in response to COVID-19.

Both were sent home and missed a subsequent game against Denmark, although Foden was recalled for England's matches against Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Iceland last month. 

Maguire was also in the headlines for the wrong reasons in August after he was arrested while on holiday on the Greek island of Mykonos.

The 27-year-old – who was originally selected, then dropped from the October internationals – is appealing a suspended prison sentence after he was found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery.

While Southgate is not prepared to lay down strict rules for his players, he does expect them to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. 

"I would think every club is going to want to minimise the issues," he told a media conference. 

"On a broader level, I mentioned the responsibilities of being an England player. That shows the change of landscape for any players involved with us. 

"We want the country to connect with the team, be proud of the team and that they are good ambassadors for everything we are trying to do. 

"Reliability is part of our criteria. I'm not going to say this is the line, and anyone who crosses it we don't consider, but we're always observing how professional they are and how they will be if they are away with us for 35-40 days. All of that has to come into our thinking."

Southgate was speaking after England were drawn against Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra and San Marino in Group I for 2022 World Cup qualifying. 

That means a meeting with Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, who has started the season in scintillating form for Bayern Munich.

After 55 goals across all competitions last term for the Bundesliga and Champions League winners, Lewandowski has already plundered 15 goals this campaign. 

Southgate is an admirer of the 32-year-old and says his defenders will relish the opportunity to try and shackle one of the world's best strikers. 

"He's an incredible finisher," Southgate added. "I love the way he plays. He's got an excellent all-round game, protecting the ball, bringing others into play. All different types of finishes. 

"He's a huge talisman for Poland. It's a great challenge for our defenders to come up against centre-forwards like that.

"In the modern game, there are not so many number nines, but Lewandowski is absolutely in that mould."

The Three Lions were eyeing another rescue act when substitute Cole Palmer cancelled out Nico Williams' opener, but La Roja came on strong in the dying moments and Oyarzabal turned home Marc Cucurella's pinpoint cross with four minutes left.

While Spain lifted the trophy for a record-breaking fourth time, moving clear of Germany for the most titles won, it's back to the drawing board for England.

Here, we run through the best Opta stats to emerge from the showpiece game in Berlin.

Spain 2-1 England: No redemption for Three Lions as Yamal and Williams star

England made an unwanted piece of history with Sunday's defeat as they became the first team in history to lose back-to-back European Championship finals.

Gareth Southgate, meanwhile, became the first manager to oversee two final defeats in the competition.

The Three Lions made a solid start as both teams struggled to carve out chances in the opening period, but they fell behind just 69 seconds into the second half, Williams pouncing on Yamal's pass to finish across Jordan Pickford.

Williams' strike is the earliest in the second half of any Euros final, and at the age of 22 years and two days, he became the second-youngest player to score in the tournament's showpiece, behind only Pietro Anastasi in 1968 for Italy (20 years, 64 days).

Yamal, meanwhile, became the first Spain player to register four assists at a single European Championship tournament.

It is also the joint-most any player has ever assisted at a single edition of the competition since Opta records began in 1980. 

England have now conceded the first goal in eight of their last 12 matches in all competitions and have done so in four matches in a row for the first time since 1985.

However, the Three Lions were dragged back into the contest by Palmer, who side-footed into the bottom-left corner after receiving Jude Bellingham's lay-off just 142 seconds after coming on, England's fastest goal by a substitute at the Euros and the second-fastest by any substitute in a Euros final, behind Juan Mata in 2012 for Spain (100 seconds).

Bellingham's assist came on his 15th appearance at a major international tournament. At the age of 21 years and 15 days, he is the youngest player in the history of the Euros and World Cup to make 15 appearances across the competitions. 

The second-youngest player to achieve that feat is Bukayo Saka, who also made his 15th appearance in this match (22 years, 313 days).

However, England then relinquished control of the game and fell behind again as Oyarzabal turned Cucurella's low delivery home. Oyarzabal has now scored 12 goals for Spain and nine of them have come as a substitute, including his last five in a row. 

He is the fourth substitute to score the winner in a European Championship final, after Oliver Bierhoff for Germany in 1996, David Trezeguet for France in 2000 and Eder for Portugal in 2016.

England were unable to respond in the dying moments as Spain made it seven wins from as many matches at Euro 2024.

They are the first European nation to win seven matches at a major international tournament (Euros/World Cup) and just the second overall, along with Brazil at the 2002 World Cup. 

La Roja scored 15 goals at Euro 2024, the most by any nation at a single tournament in the history of the Euros.

England's wait to follow up their 1966 World Cup triumph, meanwhile, drags on.

This was their 45th match at the Euros, 19 more than any other nation has played without lifting the trophy (Belgium are second with 26).

If you cannot control matches at the elite level, you lose control of your destiny.

That was exactly what happened at the Olympiastadion as Spain – the tournament's outstanding side – won a record-breaking fourth European crown, and deservedly so.

It briefly looked like England might cap the most remarkable of knockout runs with another rescue act when Cole Palmer came off the bench to cancel out Nico Williams' opener.

But at 1-1, England ceded control and territory, and as was the case against Croatia at the 2018 World Cup and Italy in the Euro 2020 final, it cost them.

Mikel Oyarzabal matched Palmer's feat by scoring as a substitute with four minutes to play, ensuring the Three Lions' wait for silverware will stretch to at least 60 years.

It was a familiar sinking feeling for Gareth Southgate, and few could really argue his team deserved anything more. 

No Rodri, no problem for Spain

Asked how England would go about the challenge of facing Spain this week, Southgate joked: "We'll have to get the ball off them first."

While Spain only generated chances worth 0.28 expected goals (xG) in a cagey first half, Luis de la Fuente's side had 69.2% possession and completed 265 passes to England's 100.

While some excellent last-ditch defending from John Stones and Luke Shaw kept Spain at bay, Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo struggled to establish a foothold as Fabian Ruiz, Rodri and the excellent Dani Olmo set the tone in the middle of the park.

And even when Rodri was forced off through injury at the halfway point, Martin Zubimendi being introduced in a switch that would have given England hope, little changed, Spain enjoying 60.7% of the ball in the second period.

Indeed, Rice completed just 77.5% of his passes (31/40), Mainoo 72.2% (13/18) and Jude Bellingham 67.7% (21/31) throughout the 90 minutes, with Luke Shaw (93.3%) and Bukayo Saka (91.3%) the only England starters to record a pass completion rate of over 90%. Five of Spain's 10 outfield starters did so.

England's 16 touches in Spain's area, compared to 30 for La Roja, told the story of a team penned back by a foe more accomplished and confident in possession.

Spain racked up 1.77 xG to England's 0.55 by full-time, and had the Three Lions somehow found a way to edge the game, Jordan Pickford would surely have been Man of the Match, denying Lamine Yamal with two wonderful saves.

England have relied on moments of individual brilliant to get them through this tournament, from Bellingham's overhead kick against Slovakia to Ollie Watkins' winner versus the Netherlands.

But Sunday's final was just a bridge too far as they lost to the most organised side at the competition.

Roja wingers run the show

Much of the pre-match talk centred upon how England could stop Spanish wingers Williams and Yamal. Spoiler alert: they didn't stop them.

William's opener was the result of some excellent work from Yamal, the 17-year-old skipping between Shaw and Rice to carve open the Three Lions' backline and register his fourth assist of the tournament. 

No player on record – since Euro 1980 – has registered more in a single edition of the tournament, while Yamal has 10 goal involvements for Spain since his senior debut in September 2023 (three goals, seven assists) – more than any other player.

At the age of 22 years and two days, meanwhile, Williams is the second-youngest player to score in a European Championship final, after Italy's Pietro Anastasi in 1968 (20 years, 64 days).

Williams and Yamal created three chances apiece, a tally not matched by any other player on the field, with the latter's 19 chances created the highest figure at the tournament overall.

What next for Southgate?

For England, questions will now inevitably turn to Southgate's future.

Sunday's final will have done nothing to win over those who believe the Three Lions would be better served by approaching the 2026 World Cup under a more progressive coach.

Southgate made some strides at this tournament, not least with his use of substitutions, and Palmer's dramatic intervention off the bench was further evidence of his evolution in that department.

The Chelsea man found the bottom-left corner with a measured finish just 142 seconds after entering the fray, England's fastest-ever goal by a substitute at the Euros.

The Three Lions spent a few minutes on the front foot after their leveller, but they soon fell back into old habits as Spain re-established control.

Southgate is the first boss to ever lose two European Championship finals, while England are the first team to fall short in two straight showpiece matches. 

And this time around, whereas perhaps it was not the case in tournaments gone by, England had the personnel. They had the quality in depth. But Southgate struggled to get an attack featuring LaLiga's best player, the Premier League's best player and the Bundesliga's best player from last season to click.

The Harry Kane conundrum is particularly frustrating. Indeed, Kane had just one touch in the opposition box across the Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 finals, one fewer than Jack Grealish had; Grealish played 21 minutes in the 2020 final and didn't make the squad this time around.

Southgate may have given England's fans some unforgettable moments, but his legacy will be that of a manager just unable to get over the line on the biggest stage. 

Shaw, who missed the last three months of the 2023-24 season, did not feature in any of England's first four matches.

However, after coming on as a substitute against Switzerland in the quarters and then again against the Netherlands in the semi-finals, the 29-year-old was included in Gareth Southgate's starting XI for Sunday's final.

Trippier, who had filled in on the left, has dropped to the bench. Shaw's inclusion was the only change for Southgate from the team that started against the Dutch, meaning the semi-final matchwinner Ollie Watkins had to settle for a place among the substitutes yet again.

It is the first time Shaw, who scored early on in the Euro 2020 final, which England lost on penalties to Italy, has started for the Three Lions in over a year.

There was two changes for Spain, with Luis de la Fuente bringing back Dani Carvajal after the full-back had served his one-match suspension following his red card in La Roja's quarter-final defeat of Germany. 

Jesus Navas, who will be retiring from international football after the tournament, made way for Carvajal. Likewise, Robin Le Normand came back from suspension to replace Nacho.

Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, whose stunner dragged Spain level against France in the last four, were handed starts on the flanks, either side of Dani Olmo, who ahead of kick-off was one of six players tied on three goals in the race for the Golden Boot, along with Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, Cody Gakpo, Ivan Schranz and Georges Mikautadze.

Yamal, at the age of 17 years and one day, is the youngest ever player to feature in a World Cup or European Championship final, surpassing Pele's record from the 1958 World Cup (17y 249d). 

This will be England’s first major tournament final played outside of England, with the 1966 World Cup and Euro 2020 finals being played at Wembley Stadium. The Three Lions have never lost a match in Berlin in six attempts (W4 D2), only playing more in Helsinki (eight), Amsterdam (seven) and Sunderland (seven) without ever suffering defeat.

Meanwhile, this is Spain's fifth European Championship final, with La Roja winning the trophy three times (1964, 2008, 2012) and losing once (1984). They could become the first team to win the competition on four separate occasions.