Gareth Southgate

The Real Madrid midfielder was on target in Gelsenkirchen to take his international tally to four goals, becoming just the second player to score at both the World Cup and Euros before the age of 21 in the process.

Bellingham timed his run into the penalty area to perfection to head Bukayo Saka's cross beyond Predrag Rajkovic, and put on yet another mature display way beyond his years.

"I mean he writes his own scripts doesn't he," Southgate told BBC Sport.

"The timing of his runs, it was a super bit of play in the build-up to the goal as well, and I thought at different moments all of our forward players looked dangerous."

Southgate maintained his record of winning the opening in all four of the major tournaments that he has been in the England dugout, with only Alf Ramsey having a better win rate at international competitions. 

England dominated the first half, but were forced to grind out the victory against a revitalised Serbia side following the interval.

Southgate feels the way in which the game played out was good for his team heading into the encounter with Denmark on Thursday, though.

"That's the reality of tournaments," said Southgate when asked if the victory was tougher than he was expecting. 

"They are a strong team, and we had to suffer a bit which I think is really good for us to come through and defend out box the way we did was important for the group. 

"We obviously had good chances to extend our lead and to kill the game which we didn't manage to take, so I was really pleased with a lot of the play, especially the first half."

England were limited to just five shots throughout the contest, with Harry Kane coming closest in the second half as he saw his header brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar by Rajkovic. 

Southgate referenced the difficulty of playing against Serbia's compact defensive rearguard, but was confident his forward line will be firing on all cylinders in the fixtures that follow.

"Today was just the finishing and a good save from the goalkeeper with the header towards the end. But that will come," he added.

"I am confident that we will score goals. We were playing against a back five which is not easy to create chances but we did and in the end, one was enough. 

"I liked the fact that we had to suffer a bit without the ball because I think that is an area we have worked on a lot this week, and we were obviously so much better than we were last week in doing that."

The Three Lions topped Group C thanks to their goalless draw with Slovenia on Tuesday but were booed off by fans, and have been subject to criticism for their flat performances along the way.

England created an expected goals (xG) of just 0.8 against Slovenia, while their matches at the tournament have produced the fewest xG (2.26 for, 1.13 against).

Southgate has made just one change to his starting line-ups at the tournament so far, with Conor Gallagher replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield for the last match, though the Chelsea midfielder was switched for Kobbie Mainoo at half-time after failing to make an impact.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Shearer, who played in three major tournaments for England, said: "I really wanted to see a reaction to the criticism the team have been getting but, apart from the final few minutes, it just didn't happen," Shearer said.

"Instead, until some late changes, it was exactly the same sort of disappointing performance we'd already seen twice from Gareth Southgate's side at this tournament.

"We keep on saying there is so much more to come from this team, but Southgate has not found the balance to get the best out of his players. That is the biggest thing that needs to change if we are going to see them play like they do for their clubs.

"One of the most concerning things about watching England is that I don't see a pattern of play when we bring the ball forward. I just see us struggling to find one.

"The way Phil Foden and [Jude] Bellingham are being used together has not been a success, which is why I thought the better route would be to use Bellingham alongside [Declan] Rice and put Foden as the number 10."

It is not only in midfield that Shearer thinks England are having problems, as Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden struggled to make an impact up front.

Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer were late introductions off the bench for Southgate's side, with England looking more of a threat through them in stoppage time.

"The move right at the end that started with Bellingham and Gordon on the left and ended with Palmer's shot being saved was probably the best thing we did all night," Shearer added.

"It was the only time at these Euros that I saw us move the ball from left to right with pace, and it caused the opposition problems.

"We need to see much more of that, and Palmer and Gordon could be the key to providing the spark and energy we have been badly missing. That's what gives me the most hope, because there's not been very much else to get excited about.

"Palmer and Gordon have given Southgate something massive to think about - and he has got some huge decisions to make."

Having opened their Group C campaign with an unconvincing 1-0 win over Serbia last week, England failed to clinch top spot with a game to spare as they were pegged back in a 1-1 draw with Denmark on Thursday.

Harry Kane put the Three Lions ahead after 18 minutes, but they soon fell into old habits and sat deeper against a lively Denmark side, who levelled through Morten Hjulmand's ferocious 25-yard strike.

While England remain on course to top Group C, sitting two points clear of Denmark and Slovenia, who they face on matchday three, their performance put Southgate under more scrutiny.

England have attempted just 17 shots – seven of them on target – in their two games at Euro 2024, amassing a total of 1.85 expected goals (xG).

Scotland are the only team to have played two matches and created a lower xG total, amassing just 0.78 in their 5-1 defeat to Germany and a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, Southgate said: "Clearly, we're disappointed with the level of the two performances we've had, so we've got to go and analyse that in depth and find solutions to addressing the issues we have.

"We know the level can be higher. Maybe the biggest thing is we have to accept the environment that we're in and the expectations that are around us. At the moment, we're falling a little bit short of that.

"Ultimately, that's my responsibility. I'm the manager, and I've got to guide this group in the best way possible to achieve extraordinary things."

Trent Alexander-Arnold came in for particular criticism after retaining his place in midfield, despite no England player bettering his three chances created or five line-breaking passes, even as he was substituted after just 54 minutes.

In their 2-1 extra-time win over Denmark in the Euro 2020 semi-finals, England recorded 31 per cent of their open-play touches in the final third.

That figure was down to 17 per cent on Thursday as they struggled to progress the ball, with 34 per cent of their touches coming in their own third.

Southgate believes the absence of Phillips – who was omitted from the squad after failing to nail down a starting spot with either Manchester City or loan club West Ham – has been a difficult problem to solve.

Asked about Alexander-Arnold's display, Southgate told BBC Sport: "He has had some moments where he has delivered as we thought. 

"It’s an experiment. We don't have a natural replacement for Kalvin Phillips. At the moment we're not flowing as we would like.

"At the moment we're not using the ball well enough and have to accept if you do that you will suffer at times, as we have. We know there's another level we have to find."

June's Euro 2020 final rematch at the Molineux Stadium will be held without fans in attendance, after UEFA sanctioned the English Football Association for crowd trouble that marred that Wembley loss for Southgate's side.

Fans burst into the stadium without tickets and fought with stewards as England lost in that dramatic penalty shootout, and were given a two-game attendance ban by European football's governing body as a result.

Asked if the FA were given a lenient ruling upon announcing his squad for the upcoming international window, Southgate was blunt on England and English football's reputation.

"Well, we're on a yellow card aren't we, so we are where we are," Southgate said. "We've got the embarrassment now of playing behind closed doors at home.

"Normally when you watch those things having happened abroad, we're all grandstanding about how it's someone else's problem and how this country should be dealt with - and now it's us. That's not a good optic for our country.

"There's clearly a responsibility within football because, when it's in our environment, we've got to do all we can to try to make sure it doesn't happen."

England will play four Nations League fixtures in June, with away trips to Hungary and Germany, before facing Italy and playing out the return fixture with Hungary.

The games come on the back of a recent spate of crowd trouble to mark the end of the English domestic season.

Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp was struck by a fan in their Championship playoff against Nottingham Forest, while Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira was involved in a scuffle with a supporter following their loss to Everton. This weekend, Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen was assaulted by a pitch-invading Manchester City supporter.

In response, Southgate has urged for English football to show restraint and avoid changes that can obstruct the matchday experience.  

"We all recognise that, but it's a wider problem," he said. "It's behaviour and a reflection on where we are as a country.

"It's a difficult time for people, we're going to have more difficult times because of the economy and the realities of the situation we're in.

"How do we want to be viewed as a country because that's manifesting itself in football at the moment and that's not a good look. We don't want to go back to fences up and the type of environment that created."

The Three Lions reached the final of Euro 2020, only to lose on penalties to Italy after a 1-1 draw at Wembley after extra time.

With a squad packed with attacking talent at his disposal, Southgate often faced clamour to find a way to fit as many of Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden into his starting XI as possible.

While all those players played their part, Southgate started every game with a holding pivot of Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips in midfield, with England lining up in a back three in the final itself.

England, who had the tightest defence at Euro 2020, conceding just two goals, were outshot by 19 to six in that match, with Luke Shaw's early goal their only attempt until Harry Kane headed over in the 58th minute.

Southgate's team are back in action on Thursday, facing Hungary in World Cup Qualifying Group I - England sit top with nine points from their three games so far.

Asked once again if he feels he has at times been too conservative with his approach, Southgate told a news conference: "I'm always looking at Chelsea who are the Champions League winners who play three attacking players.

"Liverpool play three attacking players normally. So what is required to win football matches at the very highest level? Most teams will get four in if they played two wide players, a 10 and a nine, or three forwards and an attacking eight.

"I don't see too many teams in world football who win things playing with five attacking players who have no tactical discipline or who have no balance to the team, so of course I understand people want to see exciting players. I get that. I think our goalscoring record is pretty strong compared to other nations.

"The teams that have won tournaments in the past were averaging 12 goals in those tournaments. We had 11, Italy got 13. We weren't far away on that. I think we play good football.

"I think we build the game. We retain possession of the ball. We need to do that better in the biggest matches when we are pressed intensely, without a doubt. But we can't get every attacking player on the pitch and some of them still have a long way to go to being the finished article.

"We have got some big players who have got us to a semi-final and a final, who have proved themselves in the biggest games on the biggest stage.

"We've got lots of guys with good reputations who haven't as yet necessarily won things with their clubs and who still have a lot to prove. That's going to be interesting to watch all those journeys this year, with us and with their clubs."

How did England perform in attack at Euro 2020?

While Southgate will rightly point to reaching a World Cup semi-final and then taking England to their first major tournament final since 1966 as evidence of the outstanding progress made, some questioning of his attacking plan does seem justified, however, based on the numbers from Euro 2020.

England did indeed score only two goals less than Italy at Euro 2020, with the Azzurri joint-top in that regard alongside semi-finalists Spain.

In terms of total chances created, England ranked fifth with 48, way behind leaders Italy (104), with Spain (86), Denmark (71) and Switzerland (52) also ahead of Southgate's team.

However, only Spain created more big chances – those defined by Opta as a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score – than England's tally of 16, with the Three Lions converting half of these opportunities.

A total of 189 passes or crosses into the area also ranked England behind the other three teams to make it to the semi-finals. 

Italy, Spain, Denmark and Switzerland all had more shots than England, despite there of them playing fewer matches, while nine teams scored at a faster rate (England managed a goal every 57.27 minutes, whereas tournament leaders Spain recorded a strike every 41.54 minutes).

Only Belgium recorded a better shot conversion rate than England, though.

Maguire was a subject of court proceedings on the Greek island of Syros on Tuesday, following his alleged part in an altercation with police while on holiday in Mykonos.

The 27-year-old spent last Thursday and Friday night in custody and denies all charges. He had the chance to speak to Southgate before being selected for next month's Nations League encounters with Iceland and Denmark.

The England manager hailed his first-choice central defender as "an outstanding character" within the national team set-up, and said he had no reason to doubt Maguire's account of last week's incident.

"It's clearly a decision that is not straightforward and a decision that, in the end, I can only take on the information I have," Southgate told a news conference.

"I've spoken with Harry, I have insight to the story which is very different to what's been reported.

"In these instances, you can only make decisions based on facts that you're aware of. Now, clearly, if facts or information change further down the line, I have to review that decision.

"I have a fantastic relationship with the boy. Harry has been an outstanding character for us.

"I have no reason to doubt what he is telling me. It's important he knows that he's got my support at this moment."

The Manchester United forward missed a spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out in the European Championship final defeat to Italy before a wave of online racial abuse was targeted at Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho.

Rashford appeared out of form following the Euro 2020 heartbreak but impressive club performances for United ahead of the November break saw him secure a place in Southgate's 26-man squad for Qatar.

The 25-year-old scored as a substitute in the 6-2 victory over Iran and celebrated a brace after starting in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Wales to send England through as Group B winners.

That made Rashford the first United player to score three goals at a major tournament for England since Bobby Charlton at the 1966 World Cup, leading Southgate to hail the striker's transformation.

"It has been a challenge for him. I went and saw him before the season and had a long chat with him, he had some clear ideas on what he needed to do," the England manager said of Rashford.

"With his club, he's been happy with his performances this year and it showed on the training ground with us.

"We've got a completely different player here than we did at the Euros, he could have had a hat-trick in the first half as he was getting in all the right areas. He deserved his goals."

No player at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium enjoyed more touches in the opposition box (eight), shots (six) – just one fewer than the entire Wales team managed – or attempts on target (four) than Rashford.

His excellent showing offers Southgate a selection dilemma heading into Sunday's last-16 clash with Senegal, with Phil Foden also scoring after Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka dropped to the bench.

Southgate's decision not to use Foden at all during the drag goalless draw against the United States drew criticism, but the manager welcomed the headache he now has.

"You need goals from all areas, it is a problem for opposition teams if the threat is coming from other areas of the pitch," Southgate added. 

"We have talked about that a lot, across the three games pretty much all our forward line have got off the mark with goals or quality assists.

"That is a good place for the forwards to be, they need that confidence, competing for places is where we want to be because then everyone knows they have to deliver.

"You want those sorts of decisions, we need strength in depth. Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips both got minutes, you never know when we are going to need certain players."

England reached the semi-finals at the World Cup in Russia in 2018 before going one better at the Euro 2020 three years later, but Qatar marked the first time the Three Lions have topped their group at FIFA's global competition since 2006.

Southgate remains buoyed with confidence as he believes England are a much-improved side to the one that fell to defeat against Croatia in 2018's last four.

"Compared to Russia there's a different mentality and a different belief," he continued. "In Russia, it was more like could we just win one knockout game, but there's more confidence now.

"We have more experience, I'm not sure if we're ahead of where we were [at the Euros]. But we have achieved our first objective.

"Against Senegal, who have some top players playing in big leagues across Europe, we know on the rankings we will be favourites but they are a very dangerous team."

La Roja took the lead through Nico Williams early in the second half before Cole Palmer came off the bench to equalise in Berlin.

However, Mikel Oyarzabal proved the hero, scoring in the 86th minute to secure a 2-1 victory and ensure England lost a second consecutive Euros final following their defeat to Italy three years prior.

Southgate, who became the first manager to lose two finals at the European Championships, will be out of contract at the end of the year but refused to discuss his plans after further heartbreak.

"I don't think now is the good time to make a decision like that," Southgate said to ITV. "I've got to talk to the right people, but it's just not for now.

"I think England are in a really good position in terms of the experience they've got now with the age of the squad.

"Most of them [the players] will be around not only for the World Cup but the next Euros as well, so there's a lot to look forward to, but at the moment, that's not a consolation."

England had come from behind to win all three of their knockout matches and conceded first for the fourth consecutive match.

However, Southgate admitted it may have been a step too far to get another comeback win against Spain, who became the first side in history to win four Euros crowns.

"I think [Spain] were the best team in the tournament, we didn't quite keep the ball well enough, but we were right in it until the last 10 minutes," the England manager added.

"I'm devastated for everybody really. The players have been absolutely incredible, and I'm so proud of what they've done, but we've just fallen a little bit short.

"I think the players have got to take enormous credit for getting us to the point we did, but when you get as close as that you've got to take those chances.

"The way they've fought, they represented the shirt with pride, they've never been beaten until the very end, the last five minutes of the game.

"The character and resilience they've shown. I just think tonight, we didn't keep the ball well enough; they had more control of the game, and that's probably the bit that made the difference."

Bellingham produced a stunning acrobatic leveller after 94 minutes to keep England's Euro 2024 hopes alive on Sunday.

Captain Kane then headed home just 50 seconds into extra time as England edged into a last-eight meeting with Switzerland after a 2-1 victory over Slovakia.

Some had criticised Southgate for not rolling the changes earlier in the second half, though the England manager says the pair's late heroics prove the decision justified.

"With 15 minutes to go you wonder if he is out on his feet," Southgate said of Bellingham when speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live. 

"Him and Harry Kane produce those moments and that is why you don't make changes when people are clamouring for more changes. We had enough attacking players on the pitch."

Bellingham's equaliser marked England's latest goal in European Championship history, with his overhead kick timed at 94 minutes and 34 seconds.

England had been woeful up to that point, failing to register a single shot on target after Ivan Schranz's first-half opener.

Yet Southgate believes the tide always seemed set to change after Phil Foden's second-half finish was ruled out for offside and Declan Rice was denied by the woodwork late on.

"I had a funny feeling the game wasn't dead and I know that sounds ridiculous," the former England international added. "We were pushing and probing.

"Ultimately it is the one we have thrown in the box that got us the goal [Bellingham's equaliser]."

Kane scored his 14th goal at major tournaments for England with his well-taken headed finish, with only four European players ever managing more in history.

"He is an extraordinary goal scorer, he is leading the team so well," Southgate said of his talisman. "He has been exceptional as a captain keeping the ship steady.

"He has been through it before and nights like tonight are which the younger ones will refer back to as that is what happens in tournaments."

A meeting with Switzerland in the quarter-finals in Dusseldorf on Saturday will mark Southgate's 100th match in charge of his country, though he says England have not achieved anything yet.

"That's neither here nor there," Southgate responded when asked about the landmark. "We haven't come to get to a quarter-final but to get through a night like tonight was fantastic character and we now play a Swiss team that have been very good.

"We have a couple of days to recover and get ready for them."

The Three Lions were considered one of the pre-tournament favourites to go all the way in Germany, but have produced generally underwhelming displays in their four matches so far.

England topped Group B despite winning just one of their three games, and were just seconds away from a humbling last-16 exit against Slovakia, until Jude Bellingham's sublime acrobatic effort spared their blushes.

Harry Kane then completed the turnaround in the early stages of extra time, as Southgate's relieved side scraped through to the last eight by the skin of their teeth.

Nevertheless, the England boss is adamant his players' last-gasp exploits against Slovakia will provide momentum ahead of facing Switzerland in Dusseldorf on Saturday. 

"There's no question it will give the whole group belief," said Southgate.

“We know we should be better than we've been, but we've ended up with a lot of young players in important positions and trying to solve problems right the way through the four weeks of the camp.

"But the standout is the way the players are dealing with it. Their togetherness, their spirit."

Southgate referred to the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96 as similar instances where England were slow out of the blocks, before going on to reach the semi-finals at each tournament.

"Everybody now, 30 years on, looks back at [Euro] 96 in a different way to how it was at the time," the Three Lions boss added.

"We were bang average against Switzerland [in the opening game at Euro 96]. We were the same against Scotland; Scotland missed a penalty at 1-0 [down]. Spain should have beaten us in a 0-0 draw [in the quarter-finals].

"1990 was similar, so you do go through these moments in tournaments."

The 53-year-old will oversee his 100th England game in charge against Switzerland, becoming only the third Three Lions head coach to reach triple figures after Walter Winterbottom and Bobby Robson.

Manchester City playmaker Foden and Manchester United forward Greenwood were sent home from the England camp having broken coronavirus protocols, after making their debuts during Saturday's 1-0 Nations League win over Iceland.

The youngsters 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, a meeting forbidden under Iceland's strict self-isolation rules in response to COVID-19.

Southgate changed personnel and formation for Tuesday's 0-0 draw in Denmark, after which attention again turned to Foden and Greenwood.

The Football Association (FA) is investigating the incident and Southgate explained that what he has since learned of their actions means, irrespective of coronavirus rules, they would have been banished from his squad.

"I've spoken to both of them," he told Sky Sports. "They know what's happened is unacceptable and was unacceptable on a COVID basis but, as I've learned, was unacceptable on any basis. Either way, they would have gone home."

Nevertheless, Southgate insisted he feels a duty of care towards Foden, 20, and Greenwood, 18.

"They're young men, the consequence is there. They now need support. They're everywhere in the press, everyone is wading in on them," he said.

"They need help to rebuild, understand the expectation of being an England player and we need to help them in that process. We must help young people get back on their feet."

The Three Lions boss did not rule out calling up the either player for October's internationals, but insisted there is work to be done.

"There's a lot of thinking and a lot of trust needs to be built first," he said. "My mindset it not to hurt these boys anymore.

"They're going through that with their families and their friends and I don’t need to add into that."

Southgate handed out four more debuts in Copenhagen – Conor Coady and Kalvin Phillips from the start before Jack Grealish and Ainsley Maitland-Niles featured as second-half substitutes.

Their collective presence was arguably the most notable feature in a game where England switched to a 3-4-3 setup and struggled to create many chances of note before Harry Kane had a shot cleared off the line in stoppage time.

"We've learned a lot," Southgate added. "We tried a new system, which we will get better at.

"Given everything we’ve had to deal with, 10 pull outs for various reasons… we felt we wanted to start with stability.

"We could have been a bit higher during the first half but we were in control.

"It wasn't a game where we were going to be able to press as high for 90 minutes That had a bearing on our formation as well

"In the second half we felt we were in control with some of the changes. Mason [Mount] and Jack made us a bit more forward thinking.

"Ainsley and Conor did well, I was happy with the lads who made their debuts."

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been critical of the Premier League for their refusal to follow other European leagues and sanction the use of five substitutes.

This season's matches have been squeezed into a shorter timeframe due to the impact of the coronavirus, which delayed the completion of the 2019-20 season.

Speaking at a media conference following the draw for the World Cup qualifying groups for Qatar 2022, the England manager joined Klopp in expressing his fears over the workload placed on some players.

"I think all coaches are concerned about the number of matches," Southgate said.

"It's not one area in particular, it’s the overall volume. We're in a shortened season. No winter break, which was deemed to be a good idea last year.

"We've got the issue over the substitutions. We've known that. When the debate comes up, we were on to how difficult September would be as soon as the leagues restarted again.

"Everyone else came to that decision, a bit later. Jurgen will be like me, looking at what will March be like.

"For the top players in particular, they are the ones that play European, International and league football.

"What we’ve tried to affect, we lobbied UEFA for five substitutes. I know there are talks about the FA Cup going that route.

"I would think Jurgen would be frustrated because in Germany, they work so closely together. I see the logic in what they're saying.

"A compact season like this is always a concern, with what you will get at the end of it."

Southgate admitted it was challenge of his job to have a constructive dialogue with Premier League managers, who he acknowledged are under intense pressure, over the handling of players.

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho recently questioned whether Southgate bowed to pressure from Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola when Raheem Sterling pulled out of England squad through injury.

Sterling then appeared in City's next match against Tottenham while Spurs had three players who all featured in games for England.

Southgate added: "We have the most intense competition at the top of our league.

"We have some very successful managers who have huge motivation, all of our clubs with huge motivation and responsibilities.

"Nearly all of our squad are playing in England, and our league is very different. It’s one of the additional situations as England manager you have to deal with.

"It's always important to have respectful relationships, but the reality is our objectives are different. They are the clubs' players, we have to respect that."

Kane saw his first season with Bayern Munich ended early by a back injury, missing their last two Bundesliga matches as he finished with 44 goals across all competitions in 2023-24.

He came off the bench to score as England beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0 in the first of two warm-up matches on Monday and is expected to start at Wembley on Friday.

That may be bad news for Brentford striker Toney, who could be at risk of being omitted when Southgate cuts his 33-man preliminary squad to 26 players on Saturday.

"Toney will be involved in the game on Friday but I have got to get Harry Kane right," Southgate said.

"Sometimes the priorities of what's required and what you would like to see as well, you can't achieve all of those objectives. Simple as that."

Toney scored four goals in his first five Premier League matches after returning from a nine-month ban in January, but he ended the campaign on a 12-game goal drought – his longest ever in the competition.

Kane, meanwhile, will be key to England's hopes of ending their 58-year wait for silverware in Germany.

He has scored 12 goals at the last three major international tournaments (2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup), with Kylian Mbappe the only other European player to match that tally.

Kane was also involved in 10 goals during Euro 2024 qualifying (eight goals, two assists), scoring or assisting on all seven of his starts. 

While Kane should be in peak condition by the time England kick off their Group C campaign against Serbia on June 16, doubts persist over the availability of left-back Luke Shaw.

With no other natural left-backs making Southgate's squad, Kieran Trippier could shift across to that side for the Three Lions' opening game, and the Newcastle United man is ready to go after suffering injuries of his own in the closing stages of 2023-24.

"I'm fit. If I pick the team, then obviously I put myself in it," Trippier said. 

"That's up to Gareth, but whether I play or I don't play, I'll be ready. I felt really fit. I'm feeling good, I'm feeling fresh."

The teams faced each other in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium last year, with Italy emerging victorious on penalties to win their first European Championship trophy since 1968 and deny England their first major title in 55 years.

The sides also met twice in the recent Nations League campaign, playing out a goalless draw at Molineux in June before Giacomo Raspadori gave Italy a 1-0 triumph in the return fixture at San Siro in September.

The Three Lions have not beaten Italy in six attempts since a 2-1 victory in 2012, and Southgate says that run needs to end.

"England's record against Italy generally is not very good," Southgate told Sky Sports. "So we've got to improve that.

"There's not too many surprises, they've changed the team a lot for all of those different matches.

"We know the quality they have, we know the depth that they have."

England and Italy have been drawn in Group C alongside Ukraine, Malta and North Macedonia, the latter of whom knocked the Azzurri out of the World Cup play-offs earlier this year, preventing the European champions from making it to Qatar.

Southgate acknowledged the overall difficulty of the group, adding: "It's clearly a tough draw, given the quality of the opposition.

"But we've had draws in qualification that have probably been a little bit more comfortable than that, although I'd have to say Poland and Hungary in the last qualifying group was particularly tough as well, so we're used to that.

"The draws are what they are, it's how you perform on the day."

Bellingham has shined for Real Madrid this season, helping Los Blancos win LaLiga and the Champions League, scoring 23 goals in the process.

He has also become an increasingly important figure for the Three Lions, who are among the favourites at Euro 2024.

Bellingham was given a break in the wake of the Champions League final, and so sat out England's friendlies against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iceland, with the Three Lions failing to impress in a 1-0 loss in the latter match.

When the topic of Bellingham was raised following that defeat at Wembley, Southgate said: "We are not putting everything on Jude.

"We've got a lot of good players and it is a collective thing to go and try to win this tournament.

"If we are relying on one person that isn’t going to be a team that wins.

"I'm sure he will give the squad a lift but it is not his responsibility to do that. It is for all of us to get the focus right, to make sure individually our mentality is right."

England face Serbia in their opening match of Euro 2024 on June 16, before they take on Denmark and Slovenia.

England are winless in five matches – their worst such run since June 2014 – ahead of taking on historic rivals Germany at a sold-out Wembley in their final Nations League tie.

The Three Lions were relegated from Group A3 after Friday's 1-0 loss to Italy, which followed a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Hungary in their most recent home game.

Southgate was booed after both of those defeats, with fans also heard chanting "You don't know what you're doing" during the contest against Italy at San Siro.

But ahead of England's first game at Wembley since March, in what is their last outing before the World Cup, Southgate hopes his players are backed by those inside the ground. 

"We've got 90,000 people – the stadium is sold out – so people want to come and see this team play," he said at Sunday's pre-match press conference.

"That's because the players have done an unbelievable job for six years. 

"We were on the back of a difficult time in terms of the relationship with the fans at the start of that journey and slowly we've built with the finishes that we've already discussed.

"It is not healthy for the team to be having this noise around them. I fully understand that. But it is for me to take responsibility, it is for me to allow them to go and play. 

"I want them to feel freedom. They know we always talk about that around the training ground, on the training pitch, and I would urge the supporters to get behind the team.

"How they deal with me at the end or whenever, on the phone-ins or wherever else is completely different. 

"But this is their last chance to see the boys before they go to a World Cup and we are all in it together. We can only succeed if we're all pushing in the same direction.

"What happens to me is irrelevant, frankly. It is about the team. The most important thing is the team and the success of the team."

Across his six years in charge, Southgate has guided England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and Euro 2020 final, as well as reaching the Nations League Finals in 2019.

England have won just two of their seven matches this year, however, with both of those coming in friendlies, and have failed to score from open play in more than eight hours.

Indeed, the Three Lions are one of only two nations yet to score a single non-penalty goal in the 2022-23 Nations League alongside minnows San Marino.

Asked how he is coping with the recent criticism, Southgate said: "You're not going to have six years as we've had without a spell where you are going to have some tough results.

"You've got to show resilience to come through those moments. I'm not the first coach to go through a difficult time in terms of results and criticism. 

"This is part of the territory – for me, it's a great challenge to lead the team through a moment like this.

"The results haven't been at the level we want or require. So, no matter what job you have in football, that would be the case. 

"Of course, with the national team, that noise is going to be louder and more widespread, I understand that."

Grealish made 10 appearances in total at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, but nine of those came off the bench as he played the role of impact player.  

All 35 of his England caps have come under Southgate, but a stop-start campaign with Manchester City has seen his place called into question ahead of the Euros.

Injuries and poor form limited Grealish to just 20 appearances across all competitions in 2023-24, after he provided five goals and seven assists as City won the treble in 2022-23.

Ahead of this week's warm-up friendlies against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland, Southgate said Grealish's attitude has never been in doubt.

"He has been really bright and he loves being here. He's had a good energy about his training," Southgate said.

"This season he has not played as much. I'm sure he would have liked that to be different but we know the qualities he can bring. 

"He is a player we enjoy working with and a character we enjoy having within the group."

However, with Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, James Maddison and Eberechi Eze all capable of playing in the wide areas, some have questioned if Grealish will be retained when Southgate cuts his 33-man squad to 26.

Asked if Grealish was at risk, Southgate said: "I don't think we're defining that just yet. I think we know where we're likely to be. 

"It's hard to be quite so specific because we keep sitting down and saying: 'Okay, if it's this or this'. Then somebody else in the room says: 'What about if we lose that player there, or that one doesn't come through with his injury? Do we need another one in this area?'

"Time is our friend this week. It's worth using the time.

"There are a lot of good players in that area of the pitch and they are all competing. We think we know who the best have been across the season. 

"What we don't totally know is how many we need to take or how many we can allow ourselves to take because of the cover we might need in other positions."

Heading into a Nations League double-header against Belgium and Iceland, pressure is building on Southgate to name Aston Villa captain Grealish in his XI.

The 25-year-old switched allegiance from the Republic of Ireland to England in 2015 but did not make his senior Three Lions debut until September this year.

Even after breaking into Southgate's squad, Grealish - who has four goals and five assists in the Premier League this season - has struggled to hold down a place in the line-up.

Grealish's bow came from the bench in the goalless Nations League draw against Denmark, while his only two subsequent appearances have been in friendlies, starting in 3-0 wins over both Wales and Ireland.

The midfielder had a team-high two assists across those matches, while only Mason Mount (four) created more chances than his three, one of which was classed as a big chance.

It seems far from certain Grealish will get another opportunity from the outset in Belgium on Sunday, yet Southgate welcomed the challenges that come with a deep squad.

The England manager pointed to Eriksson's time at the helm when he had an array of options - most notably the midfield pair of Gerrard and Lampard, who were said to be too alike to play together.

"If you want to be manager of any big football club or national team, you've got to make decisions that you believe are the right ones for the team, for the whole group for the right reasons depending on the opponent," Southgate told reporters.

"That's part of life at the top. If you don't want that, go and work somewhere else, frankly.

"We're blessed; we've got some very good players. But I'm imagining when Sven had to pick from [David] Beckham, [Paul] Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard, [Michael] Carrick, that was a pretty difficult choice as well.

"You had Champions League winners in every position, [Wayne] Rooney, [Michael] Owen, European Footballer of the Year at the time.

"All big managers or all managers of big teams have to make those decisions and you've got to be strong, you've got to make them for the right reasons.

"We need a strong squad. In tomorrow's game, we'll need more than 11 - and we've got another game on Wednesday. We need to win them both to be able to win the group."

England beat Belgium in the sides' previous meeting at Wembley, but a subsequent home defeat to Denmark means the Three Lions must win this weekend to reclaim top spot in their group.

Southgate hopes the tide is turning for his side against elite opposition, acknowledging they have struggled previously against the world's best - including in a run to the World Cup semi-finals.

"If you look at history, we haven't been a country that have beaten the big teams," he said. "That's the great challenge for us. There's been very few wins against big nations in tournaments - that's a fact.

"Even in qualifying, I can go back; '98 in qualifying, Italy beat us at Wembley, Gianfranco Zola, and we got a draw in Rome to get us through.

"The perception that we've been an outstanding nation doesn't tally with the results over the years. That's a great opportunity for this team.

"In the last few months before the World Cup, I think we lost in France, lost in Germany, draws with Belgium and Germany at Wembley. We weren't able to nail the big teams.

"Since the World Cup, we had the win in Spain, the draw and the win against Croatia, and the win against Belgium now. We're starting to build those results.

"To be a really top team, you've got to do that consistently, and that's the great challenge for us. It's not an easy one - there's some fantastic teams out there - but it's not one we're fearful of."

With Harry Kane off the field, Sterling won and converted a 91st-minute penalty to secure a 1-0 Nations League victory in Reykjavik but there was a further twist in the tale.

Joe Gomez fouled substitute Holmbert Fridjonsson under a long ball in the England box, giving Iceland a chance to level deeper into stoppage time, only for Birkir Bjarnason to blaze wildly off target.

Both sides were down to 10 men by that point, with Kyle Walker and Sverrir Ingason having seen red.

While Ingason's second booking came when he handled Sterling's goal-bound shot in the decisive moment of the match, Walker departed 20 minutes from time for a rash tackle on Arnor Ingvi Traustason when he was already on a yellow card.

"The sending off is a key moment because I felt we were in even more control in the second half," Southgate told Sky Sports when giving an honest assessment of England's ultimately successful bid for a measure of revenge against the nation who humiliatingly knocked them out of Euro 2016.

"It's very difficult to win games of football at any level if you're down to 10 men. That's a lesson we have to learn, it was an unnecessary red card.

"Then the response was great, we managed to stay in good possession of the ball, looked a threat.

"We get the penalty and I thought Raheem's desire through that period and drive was outstanding. It was great that he took that penalty under pressure.

"And then another lesson we have to learn because to invite the ball as we did and defend it the way that we did was really poor play. In the end we get away with it.

"It kind of sums the week up. We've had so many challenges, it's been so difficult to piece everything together."

Walker did not feature for England last season and, in a frank interview with Sky after the game, he conceded he had done his long-term international future no favours following an incident for which he took full responsibility.

"He said the same in the dressing room," Southgate said. "He realises, as an experienced player, those sort of challenges invite the opportunity for the referee to make a decision and it was the right decision.

"I've no complaints in terms of the officials on the penalties or the red cards.

"We've talked a lot over the years about discipline. In tournaments especially, if you go down to 10 men, then the number of times we've gone out of tournaments because of that has proved critical.

"It's not something we want to see again."

Walker will be suspended when England continue their Nations League Group A3 campaign in Denmark on Tuesday.

Klopp, who left Liverpool at the end of last season after a nine-year stay on Merseyside, is one of many names linked with taking over from Gareth Southgate. 

Southgate led England to back-to-back European Championship finals, failing to win in both and stepped down from his role after their defeat to Spain at Euro 2024. 

The last time the Three Lions employed a foreign manager came back in 2008, when Fabio Capello was announced as Steve McClaren's replacement. 

Klopp was asked at an International Coaches' Congress in Wurzburg whether he had been offered a way back into management since leaving Liverpool. 

"At the moment, there is nothing at all in terms of jobs. No club, no country," Klopp said.

“England? That would be the biggest loss of face in the history of football if I said I’ll make an exception for you.”

England's first game following Southgate's departure will be against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on 7 September in the UEFA Nations League.

Klopp said his reasoning for leaving Liverpool was because he was "running out of energy" having helped the Reds win eight major honours during his time at Anfield. 

However, the 57-year-old did not rule out a return to the dugout in the future, expressing his desire of working in football again. 

"Let's see what it will look like in a few months. Nothing is coming through at the moment," he said.

"As of today, that's it for me as a coach. I didn't quit on a whim, it was a general decision.

"I've also coached the best clubs in the world. Maybe we can talk about it again in a few months.

"I still want to work in football and help people with my experience and contacts. Let's see what else there is for me."