The West Indies Men’s and Women’s teams will be wearing new team jerseys starting from the upcoming Series against England as part of a new technical partnership between Cricket West Indies (CWI) and leading European sportswear company Macron. The home players will be wearing new One Day International (ODI), T20 International (T20) and training kit apparel across the Series, all featuring the West Indies iconic maroon that fans in the Caribbean and around the world love and adore.
Macron, as CWI’s new official technical partner and team kit supplier, is an Italian based sports apparel manufacturer which has been supplying equipment and sportwear from grassroots to elite athletes, sports players and teams for over five decades. The new partnership will see Macron supply team playing and training kits for all home and away Test, ODI and T20I matches and covering all West Indies Men’s and Women’s international teams including ‘A’ Teams, the Academies and age group teams.
The team jerseys feature high performance material that not only support performance but also helps reduce plastic waste and energy consumption. Each jersey is made from a special 100% PET recycled polyester thread that comes from thirteen recycled bottles and requires less energy in the production of the apparel. The new partnership also helps CWI’s desired aim to increase sustainability, reduce plastic waste and reduce energy consumption which is important for the future of Caribbean countries.
The new team kit designs will be unveiled in the build-up to the three-match CG United ODI Series, which bowls off at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on 3 December, and the T20I Series which starts on the 12 December at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Macron’s online store will enable fans around the world to purchase the new range playing and training apparel as well as caps, polo shirts and other accessories. Fans in the Caribbean will initially be able to purchase the new range on match day at the four venues hosting the West Indies vs England Series, either through a click and collect service via CWI’s online channels, or at West Indies merchandise stands in each venue. CWI is also working with regional retail partners to stock the new West Indies Macron range. More details on where and how fans can buy the new West Indies kit will be announced in the coming days.
CWI Commercial Director, Dominic Warne stated: “CWI is looking forward to a great technical partnership with Macron as a top-quality sports brand suppling technical apparel to sports teams around the world. We believe the new kit will be loved by fans, players and will also help the environment. The players will enjoy high quality technical apparel to support their high-performance requirements. We know fans will enjoy the new maroon jersey designs which supporters can purchase at all West Indies matches as well as through Macron’s e-commerce store. The team jerseys will also make a positive environmental impact using recycled plastic bottles in their production. We’re looking forward to seeing lots of maroon in the stands and the streets with fans rallying to see West Indies home for Christmas and with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup coming to the Caribbean and USA in 2024.”
Macron CEO, Gianluca Pavanello said: “Given the history, success and international prestige of West Indies Cricket, we can be particularly proud of this partnership. This further confirms the quality and reliability of the teamwear we supply to the growing number of sports federations who choose to wear the Macron Hero on their chest. We are committed to designing and producing game sets and technical garments that express the history, symbols and identity of West Indies Cricket.”
Further information will be announced on windiescricket.com and CWI’s social channels using the ‘windiescricket’ handle.
FULL MATCH SCHEDULE (with start times)
3 December: 1st CG United ODI at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua – 9:30am
6 December: 2nd CG United ODI at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua – 1:30pm
9 December: 3rd CG United at Kensington Oval, Barbados – 1:30pm
12 December: 1st T20I at Kensington Oval, Barbados – 6pm
14 December: 2nd T20I at Grenada National Stadium, Grenada – 1:30pm
16 December: 3rd T20I at Grenada National Stadium, Grenada – 1:30pm
19 December: 4th T20I at Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad – 4pm
21 December: 5th T20I at Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad – 4pm
Former England, Barcelona and Tottenham manager Terry Venables has died at the age of 80.
As a player he made more than 500 appearances for Chelsea, Tottenham, QPR and Crystal Palace but made his real mark as a coach, also managing Palace and QPR.
“We are totally devastated by the loss of a wonderful husband and father who passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness,” read a family statement.
“We would ask that privacy be given at this incredibly sad time to allow us to mourn the loss of this lovely man who we were so lucky to have had in our lives.”
In Spain Venables won the domestic title in 1984-85 and the FA Cup with Spurs in 1991 but it was his spell as England boss, guiding the team to the semi-final of Euro 96 on home soil after a brilliantly-memorable 4-1 win over the Netherlands only to lose on penalties to Germany.
League Managers’ Association chief executive Richard Bevan said: “The LMA is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of LMA member and former LMA president Terry Venables.
“Our thoughts are very much with Yvette and all of Terry’s family at this time.”
Tottenham will hold a minute’s applause and players will wear black armbands for Sunday’s fixture at home to Aston Villa.
“We are extremely saddened to learn of the passing of Terry Venables, our former player, manager and chief executive, who passed away on Saturday,” said a club statement.
“We extend our sincere condolences at this sad time to Terry’s wife, Yvette, his close family and friends.”
Gary Lineker, whom Venables signed for Barcelona from Everton in 1986 and then brought to Tottenham in 1989 after he took the job at White Hart Lane, paid his own tribute.
“Devastated to hear that Terry Venables has died. The best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“He was much more, though, than just a great manager, he was vibrant, he was charming, he was witty, he was a friend.
“He’ll be hugely missed. Sending love and condolences to Yvette and the family. RIP Terry.”
Ben Curry’s greatest ambition in rugby is to play alongside twin brother Tom in England’s back row.
Ben, Sale’s captain for their home Gallagher Premiership clash with Bath on Friday night, has won five caps but each of them have come when Tom has been on British and Irish Lions duty or injured.
The World Cup and its programme of warm-up fixtures could have seen his dream realised only for hamstring surgery to rule him out of the tournament in France.
“The day I can’t play for England with Tom I would seriously consider my options because that’s one of the biggest things that motivates me,” Ben said.
“I’ve done it myself, by myself, but I want to do it with Tom. You talk about what are your goals for your career and that’s something that’s a goal of mine.”
The likelihood of Ben adding to his five caps in the Six Nations has increased after Tom was earlier this week ruled out for the rest of the season by hip surgery.
The identical twins live together near the AJ Bell Stadium and Tom’s setback will result in changes at home – once help has been sought from Sale fly-half George Ford.
“When I had my injury, Fordy knew someone who put me up in a hotel for two nights. I was in the night before and then the night after (the operation),” Ben said.
“So the first thing I told Tom was to text Fordy and get a hotel for two nights! You’ve just had surgery and you are lying in a hotel room with everyone doing stuff for you.
“On the back of that we are going to have to change rooms. We still live together, and he’s on the top floor and I’m on the second floor, so we might have to change rooms.
“I’m probably going to have to do a bit of stuff to help out, unfortunately!
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“The only bit of advice I’d give to him is to take the first few weeks to recover, not just physically but mentally.
“Take it for what it is, take your time away from the game so that when you come back, you properly go after it.
“It’s a good opportunity to get better, bigger, stronger, faster – all of those cliches.
“You’ve got five months at it, so it can make a difference to how he plays and also his longevity as well if he gets it right.”
Owen Farrell has returned from the World Cup with the hunger to prolong his career for as long as possible.
Farrell led England to a third-place finish in France following an agonising semi-final defeat by South Africa but, unlike a number of his international peer group, the 32-year-old has no intention of looking towards the finishing line.
Ben Youngs, Courtney Lawes and Jonny May played their final Tests at the World Cup, while Dan Cole, Joe Marler, Danny Care and Manu Tuilagi are also close to signing off at the highest level.
But Farrell has raised the possibility that he could still be present for Australia 2027 as England enter a period of rebuilding.
“I love what I do, I’m passionate about it and I don’t see that slowing down any time soon,” the Saracens captain said at the season launch of the Investec Champions Cup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“I’m unbelievably lucky to do something that I’m really passionate about and I want to play as long as it can if I’m still excited about what I am doing.
“The two go hand in hand because if you’re not excited then you won’t do what you want to do anyway, you won’t play for the teams that you want to play for and you won’t play to the standard that you want to.
“I wouldn’t sit down and set targets. But I also wouldn’t say they are not in the back of my head, quietly.
“I wouldn’t be one to say ‘I have written this down, this down and this down, this is what I want to achieve and this is what I am working for every day’. But they are there in the background.
“The exciting bit is what’s in front of us. Where you can take what you’ve been doing and how to get the best out of yourself. Hopefully there’s loads more of that.”
Farrell’s immediate aim is to help Saracens challenge for silverware on two fronts with the Gallagher Premiership already under way and their Champions Cup opening against the Bulls on December 9.
Saracens have won three European titles, their most recent coming in 2019, and the competition retains a special place in Farrell’s heart.
“When I was still at school and watching the rugby I couldn’t wait for the then Heineken Cup, now the Champions Cup,” the fly-half said.
“You’d sit there on a Friday night, then all day Saturday, all day Sunday, sometimes you didn’t move because there was just big game after big game.
“There is something about European games that make them bigger. These are games that teams look forward to and therefore end up putting their best out there on the field.
“There are a lot more big games, they sell out and the atmosphere changes a bit. I can’t quite put my finger on why but there are some European nights you’ve played in that are memorable.”
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott lit up Goodison Park as England Under-21s eased past Northern Ireland.
The midfielder’s classy brace inspired the Young Lions to a comfortable 3-0 win on Tuesday.
He now has five goals in Euro 2025 qualifying while Reds team-mate Tyler Morton, on loan at Hull, opened the scoring with his first for the Under-21s.
It leaves them second Group F, three points behind Ukraine who beat Azerbaijan 1-0.
In what looks increasingly likely to be a straight shootout for the group win, the pair play each other in the penultimate game in October, and the Young Lions are in the rare position of playing catch-up.
It is clearly a chase they can achieve and, while boss Lee Carsley will say otherwise, the last game with his youngsters until March was a stroll after they dominated from the off, the gulf in class obvious.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, captain on home turf, was the first to waste a decent opening when he failed to connect with Tino Livramento’s knock-back as England struggled to find an early way past the robust Northern Ireland backline, marshalled by Ruairi McConville and Michael Forbes.
Noni Madueke curled wide after 20 minutes and Jay Stansfield miscued a half-volley from Hayden Hackney’s cross but they were half-chances, rather than the Young Lions slicing through their opponents.
They continued to dominate and press, James Trafford a spectator in goal, and Elliott shot wide but the killer touch continued to elude the hosts – until Northern Ireland finally wilted under the pressure after 31 minutes.
That it came from a misplaced cross mattered little as Madueke’s centre evaded Stansfield but was only cleared to Morton on the edge of the area and the midfielder drilled low into the corner.
From there, an England victory was rarely in doubt. Without Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis, elevated to the senior squad last week, they were perhaps missing a zip centrally but Madueke and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens offered enough on the flanks.
Indeed, Chelsea’s Madueke teed up Hackney to shoot over before Elliott doubled the lead after 50 minutes.
The Liverpool man was clattered by Terry Devlin 25 yards out before exacting perfect revenge by bending a free-kick into the bottom corner.
Madueke was denied by Josh Clarke as England hunted a third and it was Elliott who found it with 10 minutes left. The 20-year-old ran onto Morton’s pass, exposing a gaping hole in the Northern Ireland midfield, and produced a fine chip to lob the onrushing Clarke.
There was still time for Elliott to hunt a hat-trick but he was thwarted by a fine Clarke save.
Tom Curry will miss the entire Six Nations and most likely the rest of the season after Sale revealed he must undergo surgery to repair a hip injury.
Curry has been troubled by the issue since playing a full part in helping England finish third in the recent World Cup and a visit to a specialist confirmed that a clear out of the joint is the only option.
The 25-year-old flanker, an automatic pick for England when fit, will undergo the operation the week after next.
Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson said: “Tom has been back down to London to have further extensive x-rays under movement with a different consultant and this is the best thing for him in the short term.”
Former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo issued some scathing criticism towards lead selector for the West Indies Men’s Team, the hon. Desmond Haynes, as well as white ball head coach, Daren Sammy, after his younger brother Darren was overlooked for the upcoming three-match home series against England.
Darren Bravo, 34, recently led the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force to the CG United Super50 Cup title and finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 416 runs in eight innings at an average of 83.20 with one hundred and three fifties.
His production proved to be not enough in the eyes of the selectors, however, as they opted to go with younger players who they have invested in with an eye on the 2027 World Cup, according to Haynes in a press conference on Monday.
“SMH!!! When will the BS stop?!” I’m not surprised with my brother’s non-selection, but with the recent changes in WI cricket management, I held onto a bit of hope for the better,” Bravo said in a statement on Instagram on Monday.
“This is NOT acceptable, and I just can’t make sense of it! So here are my burning questions: What’s the criteria for West Indies team selection? Surely, it can’t be solely based on performance?” he added.
The former all-rounder then went into the aforementioned stats that Darren bravo put together in the Super50 Cup before asking more questions.
“I usually stay away from these discussions but the mistreatment, disrespect, and dishonesty towards players over the years demand a voice. When will it stop? When will this BS actually stop?”
He then directed his ire toward Haynes, Sammy, and newly appointed director of cricket Miles Bascombe.
“To Mr. Desmond Haynes, your statement didn’t surprise me. It feels like another former player singing for his supper. I hoped for trust in the system with figures like you, Sammy, and the new director of cricket, but the system failed again,” he said.
Bravo ended by offering encouragement to his brother and congratulating some of the new and returning members of the squad.
“To my brother, this too shall pass. Keep your head up, stay focused and trust in the Almighty. And, as always, I extend my best wishes to the team and selected players. It’s refreshing to see (Kjorn) Ottley, (Sherfane) Rutherford and (Shane) Dowrich back in the mix. Good luck guys,” he ended.
Beth Mead has been recalled to the England squad for the first time in over a year ahead of the Lionesses’ final Nations League fixtures.
It is a welcome return to the international fold for the 28-year-old Arsenal forward, who resumed club action last month after suffering an ACL injury last November.
England face the Netherlands at Wembley on December 1 before taking on Scotland at Hampden Park four days later.
Tottenham midfielder Grace Clinton and Manchester City goalkeeper Khiara Keating also retain their places, having received their first senior call-ups in October.
Kyle Walker believes England have enough players with big-match experience to challenge for Euro 2024 glory – if they can perfect their mentality.
England rounded off 2023 with a forgettable 1-1 draw in North Macedonia on Monday night having already assured their spot at next summer’s finals by beating Italy last month.
Gareth Southgate’s side ended the calendar year unbeaten and topped Group C of Euro 2024 qualifying in the process.
The Euro 2020 runners-up will now be top seeds for December’s group-stage draw in Hamburg as England target their first major silverware since 1966.
Walker insists they ended the year well despite having already secured qualification amid criticism of the performances in North Macedonia and in the 2-0 Wembley win over Malta.
“I don’t think there’s really been a drop off,” he told Radio 5Live.
“There’s been a good win against Malta. Okay, if you go and score eight everyone says you should have gone and scored eight- if we don’t score eight it’s a problem.
“So it’s three points. Never mind if it’s an eight or 1-0, it is still three points on the board. We know coming here, we should win. We should win but the campaign and the group is wrapped up and it was always going to be a difficult one.
“But I said at the start of the team talk that it’s about mentality now, we’ve got the group of players that we’ve had for a number of years now. We’re all mature, we’ve all been in big situations, whether it’s Champions League finals, fighting for the Premier League, semi-finals of a World Cup, finals of the Euros.
“Now it’s about our mentality. Now it’s about mentality on the field and off the field to make sure that we take this country to where it deserves and that is to hopefully pick up that European trophy.”
Walker, 33, has been installed as Manchester City captain this season but sported the armband for his country for the first time in Monday’s draw.
“It was a really proud moment when the manager pulled me aside this afternoon and told me that I would be leading the team out,” he added.
“Obviously I’m doing that for Manchester City now but to do it for my country is a real big step in the right direction and another thing I’ve ticked off my list.
“We had to be patient and try and break them down. They had a back five and it’s always going to be tough but that’s no excuse.
“We know that we should be coming here, taking three points and getting on the plane back home and celebrating qualifying with a good end to the campaign.
“But listen, we’ve qualified and let’s not underestimate that. We’ve qualified for a major tournament once again and that’s what we needed to really do.”
Gareth Southgate has been pleased by England’s progress during an unbeaten 2023 but knows there is work to do as the team tries to win the European Championship.
The Euro 2020 runners-up are among the favourites to win in Germany next summer but seemed to lose their edge after sealing qualification with two matches to spare.
Friday’s uninspiring 2-0 Wembley win against minnows Malta was followed three days later by an underwhelming 1-1 draw in North Macedonia as the curtain came down on an undefeated year.
November’s double-header will not live long in the memory but Southgate has “learned a lot” from the fixtures, with attention now intensifying on his fourth – and possibly final – major tournament in the dugout.
“We wanted to look at a few different things as well, so we’ve managed to learn from the game as well as the result,” the England boss said in Skopje.
“I have to be pleased with the progress of the team. You know, if you’d said at the start of the campaign that we would be eight wins, two draws at the end of the year, it’s a pretty good record given the fixtures that we’ve had.
“(North Macedonia) was always a game where we knew if you’d needed to come here for that point to qualify would be a very difficult place to come. They took the draw from Italy as well, so credit to North Macedonia for that.
“We can now start to look forward. We’ve got these two exciting games in March to look forward to and prepare for.
“So, yeah, I think we’ve done a lot of things well, but there’s always room for improvement.”
March’s home friendlies against Brazil and Belgium will provide much-needed challenges in the final meet-up before Southgate selects his 23-man squad for Germany.
Two further preparation games will follow before the Euros get under way, with the December 2 draw in Hamburg providing clarity on next summer’s opposition, base camp and potential route to the final.
England’s draw against Macedonia rubber-stamped their place among the top seeds for the Euro 2024 draw and Southgate said: “In the calendar year we’re eight wins and two draws from a particularly tough qualifying group and certainly a friendly in Scotland that was always going to be challenging.
“Of course, you’d like 10 wins out of 10 but not many teams do that.
“I’m really pleased with what the players have given – not just the players that are here tonight, but the players that have represented us through this year because they’ve been excellent.”
Harry Kane has, unsurprisingly, been among the standout performers this year but questions about the Bayern Munich sharpshooter’s back-up remain.
Callum Wilson, Ivan Toney, Eddie Nketiah and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have all been selected in recent times, but Ollie Watkins is the current frontrunner for the job.
The Aston Villa striker had the chance to underline that status against Macedonia but was replaced by Kane just 58 minutes into a frustrating night in Skopje, where the skipper made an immediate impact as he forced Jani Atanasov into an own goal equaliser.
“Look, it was a difficult game,” Southgate said when asked about Watkins. “Very little space, back five, so we’re dealing with three centre-backs, really, and we weren’t quite able to create the clear chance for him.
“But he did fine. It’s not easy when you’re coming in in those circumstances but that’s international football.
“Of course, he’s had games where there’s been more opportunities to score and he’s done that well with us.
“(This) was a different sort of test and, yeah, as a team, it was hard to find the spaces and find the gaps even though moments Phil (Foden) found lovely little passes and Trent (Alexander-Arnold) did.
“It was so crowded around the edge of that box to find those clear chances for our forwards.”
England have had their ups and relative downs as Gareth Southgate’s men qualified for next summer’s Euros and went through 2023 unbeaten.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the highs and lows from England’s eight wins and two draws across the year.
HIGHS
Opening qualification win in Italy
Southgate’s men put their 2022 World Cup frustration behind them by kicking off European qualification with victory at reigning champions Italy in March.
Harry Kane became England’s all-time record goalscorer by striking home a penalty after Declan Rice opened the scoring in Naples, before Mateo Retegui pulled one back.
Luke Shaw’s sending-off for two bookings in quick succession made for a nervy final 10 minutes but England held out for a 2-1 win – their first away to Italy since 1961.
Inspired Saka marmalises Macedonia
Bukayo Saka scored a jaw-dropping first career hat-trick in June as rampant England roared to a 7-0 victory against North Macedonia in a surprise end to the 2022-23 campaign.
Kane struck twice in an Old Trafford annihilation that also saw Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips get in on the act, but ever-improving talent Saka was the star of the show.
Stirring success in Scotland
Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Kane fired England to a 3-1 victory as Scotland were given the runaround by the Auld Enemy at Hampden Park in September.
Southgate was delighted with his players’ commitment, togetherness and mentality in the so-called friendly as they followed up a 1-1 draw against Ukraine in Poland by beating Steve Clarke’s side on a night when Harry Maguire recovered from an own goal and an evening of abuse from the home crowd.
LOWS
Meek Malta win
England were poor in patches in away to Ukraine and struggled to break down Macedonia as their final group game also ended 1-1, but it was Friday’s win against Malta that most disappointed.
An expectant Wembley crowd resorted to paper planes and Mexican waves to entertain themselves in a 2-0 victory that lacked excitement.
Southgate admitted afterwards that he suspected players had subconsciously let their foot off the gas against the side 171st in the world.
Boo boys
During his seven years in charge, Southgate can be rightly proud of the way the fan-base and squad have reconnected.
A few supporters were heard booing Southgate and Jordan Henderson after Monday’s draw in Skopje, with the latter also jeered by England fans in both Wembley appearances since his controversial summer switch to Saudi Arabia.
Travelling fans at Hampden threw their support behind Maguire, who has been booed by pockets of his own fan-base in previous years, but the Manchester United defender was hounded by Scotland fans – treatment labelled by Southgate as “ridiculous”, “a joke” and “beyond anything I’ve ever seen”.
Left-back limitations
England are blessed with options at right-back but they lack alternatives on the other side. Luke Shaw is first choice but has only started twice since being sent off against Italy.
Injury has kept the Manchester United left-back out of the last three squads, with an issue keeping Ben Chilwell out of the previous two camps.
The Chelsea man played in both matches against Ukraine but right-back Kieran Trippier has started as many matches on the left this year.
Levi Colwill, Fikayo Tomori and Rico Lewis have also begun matches there, but Southgate will be praying Shaw and Chilwell get back fit and firing.
England’s calendar year ended with a mundane 1-1 draw in North Macedonia on Monday night.
It was a lacklustre close to 2023 for Gareth Southgate’s side but during the past 12 months they won in Italy for the first time in 62 years and secured Euro 2024 qualification with two games to spare.
Here, the PA news agency goes back over the 10 games played to give collated ratings for players who appeared in at least three fixtures.
JORDAN PICKFORD: 7 (out of 10)
Appearances: 8, Clean sheets: 4
Undoubtedly remains Southgate’s first-choice goalkeeper and started all of the Euro 2024 qualifiers – has an interesting end to the Premier League season after Everton were deducted 10 points.
MARC GUEHI: 7
Appearances: 7, Clean sheets: 3, Goals: 0
The Crystal Palace man is now seemingly the first cab off the rank if either Harry Maguire or John Stones are unavailable for selection and looks comfortable playing at international level.
HARRY MAGUIRE: 7
Appearances: 9, Clean sheets: 4, Goals: 0
A torrid start to the year for Maguire saw him booed by England fans while poor form meant he was stripped of the Manchester United captaincy, but he has bounced back brilliantly to prove he is still integral to Southgate’s plans.
LUKE SHAW: 6
Appearances: 3, Clean sheets: 2, Goals: 0
Not the sort of year the Manchester United left-back would have hoped for. He was sent off in the opening England game of the year against Italy and the June double-header against Malta and North Macedonia were his last international outings of 2023 before injury struck.
JOHN STONES: 7
Appearances: 5, Clean sheets: 3, Goals: 0
Injury restricted Stones to just half of the England games played this year but the Manchester City treble-winner oozes a class others do not possess and if he is fit, he plays, as simple as that.
KIERAN TRIPPIER: 6
Appearances: 6, Clean sheets: 3, Goals: 0
Once again showed his versatility as a viable option at either left-back or right-back, with the Newcastle man closing in on a half-century of caps. He is one of Southgate’s most trusted players and did not put a foot wrong throughout the year.
KYLE WALKER: 7
Appearances: 8, Clean sheets: 3, Goals: 1
The Manchester City defender has to be considered in the conversation for England’s finest right-back of all-time and is seemingly still improving at the age of 33. He scored his first England goal and captained the national team for the first time in a memorable year for club and country.
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD: 7
Appearances: 5, Goals: 1
Having struggled to get into Southgate’s side at right-back, Alexander-Arnold is now predominantly being picked as a midfielder and flourished there in the away trip to Malta. Still seemingly struggles in the role against bigger nations but is a great option for Southgate.
JUDE BELLINGHAM: 8
Appearances: 5, Goals: 1
A coming-of-age 2023 for the 20-year-old who commands games as if he has been playing at the highest level for years. His move to Real Madrid has showcased his ability and could be in line for a role further forward than he has been playing for England, especially with his goal output in Spain.
CONOR GALLAGHER: 6
Appearances: 4, Goals: 0
The first half of the year was an uncertain one for Gallagher who was in and out of the Chelsea side and looked set to be sold in the summer. Instead, he has become a firm favourite of new Blues head coach Mauricio Pochettino and has been in and around the England squad all year.
JORDAN HENDERSON: 6
Appearances: 7, Goals: 0
While Southgate has kept faith in Henderson, the former Liverpool skipper was jeered by England fans on a number of occasions as they protested against his controversial move to the Saudi Pro League. Is likely to go to the Euros despite the new level he is playing at, such is Southgate’s belief in his ability.
KALVIN PHILLIPS: 6
Appearances: 6, Goals: 1
Another who has retained his place in the squad despite his club situation, with Phillips finding game-time at Manchester City severely limited. May yet have to seek a January move away from the Etihad Stadium to ensure himself of a place at Euro 2024.
DECLAN RICE: 7
Appearances: 9, Goals: 1
A near-ever present across the year for England and his £105million summer move to Arsenal has seen his game go up another notch as he provides the perfect foil for Bellingham to work his magic further forward.
PHIL FODEN: 7
Appearances: 9, Goals: 1
The Manchester City forward was another who was heavily involved throughout 2023 and he will likely battle it out with Bukayo Saka for the right-wing role in Southgate’s side. Could do with adding more goals to his game but was the pick of the players in the November games.
JACK GREALISH: 6
Appearances: 5, Goals: 0
Another who won the treble with City last season but Grealish still often flatters to deceive in an England shirt and has never really looked like an automatic starter since Southgate first brought him into the fold. Only two senior goals also show he needs to up his output.
JAMES MADDISON: 6
Appearances: 4, Goals: 0
Having gone to the World Cup but not played due to a niggling injury, Maddison’s move to Tottenham has seemingly opened the door to him taking on a more sizeable role for England, although he rarely shone when given the chance this year.
MARCUS RASHFORD: 6
Appearances: 8, Goals: 2
His form at Manchester United tailed off massively since the start of the current campaign but Southgate is a huge fan and the 26-year-old still provided the odd moment of brilliance that shows why he remains a key member of the England set-up.
BUKAYO SAKA: 8
Appearances: 7, Goals: 4
Named England’s player of the year for the past two seasons, Saka enjoyed a standout 2023 for club and country. His international highlight came with a hat-trick in the 7-0 thrashing of North Macedonia at Old Trafford but he has proven he can be a thorn in the side of a much higher calibre of opponent, too.
HARRY KANE: 8
Appearances: 9, Goals: 9
The England skipper continues to be a talisman for his team and became the first player to pass 60 international goals for the nation. Is scoring for fun since joining Bayern Munich in the summer and will be determined to carry on finding the back of the net in Germany throughout Euro 2024.
Other players used: Sam Johnstone, Aaron Ramsdale, Ben Chilwell, Levi Colwill, Lewis Dunk, Rico Lewis, Tyrone Mings, Fikayo Tomori, Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer, Jarrod Bowen, Eddie Nketiah, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, Callum Wilson.
Gareth Southgate’s England squad selection will be a huge discussion point as next summer’s Euros come into focus.
An unbeaten 2023 is now in the history books and the PA news agency has analysed how Southgate likely sees his options right now.
Goalkeepers
On the plane: Jordan Pickford (Everton).
In the departure lounge: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace) and Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal).
Hoping for a late ticket: Nick Pope (Newcastle).
Pickford established himself as England’s number one ahead of the 2018 World Cup and is all but certain to go into his fourth major tournament as the main man between the sticks. Ramsdale had looked his closest contender but David Raya’s arrival at Arsenal has impacted his playing time and could well damage his international ambitions. Johnstone has supplanted Pope as third choice for the time being.
Defenders
On the plane: Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle) and Kyle Walker (Manchester City).
In the departure lounge: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Reece James (Chelsea) and Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan).
Hoping for a late ticket: Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), Tino Livramento (Newcastle) and Ben White (Arsenal).
Trippier, Stones, Walker and Maguire have been to every previous major tournament under Southgate and will do so again if fit and playing.
James undoubtedly has the quality to be on the plane but needs to prove his fitness – not ideal given his issues staying available and the competition at right-back.
Injured Chelsea team-mate Chilwell is in a similar position but may benefit from a dearth of options at left-back. That said, he looks behind Shaw and further behind than the Euro 2020 final goalscorer in terms of his rehabilitation.
Colwill can fill in there as he did on his England debut against Australia, which will boost the central defender’s hopes. He missed November’s camp through injury, meaning Tomori and versatile teenager Lewis starting there instead. The latter impressed on his debut against North Macedonia.
Guehi has established himself as third-choice centre-back and Dunk pushed his case before having to withdraw from November’s squad. Konsa was brought in but did not feature. Livramento was name-checked by Southgate and White has not been involved since Qatar 2022.
Midfielders
On the plane: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq) and Declan Rice (Arsenal).
In the departure lounge: Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Cole Palmer (Chelsea) and Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City).
Hoping for a late ticket: Mason Mount (Manchester United) and James Ward-Prowse (West Ham).
Bellingham would be in any squad in the world, as would Rice. There are questions over Henderson and Phillips given their club situations, but Southgate has so far seen enough to stick with two players he trusts implicitly. The latter’s place is the bigger doubt given his limited playing time at Manchester City.
The Football Association now lists Alexander-Arnold as a midfielder, with his versatility and qualities surely enough to see him involved in a midfield that Gallagher is now a regular part of.
Palmer got the nod this time and the adaptable attacking midfielder featured in both November fixtures after a fine start at new club Chelsea.
By contrast, Mount’s difficult end to last season and injury-impacted beginning to life at Old Trafford has seen him miss out on recent squads, but Southgate is a long-term admirer of the Euro 2020 final starter. Ward-Prowse has not been called up despite his impressive form at West Ham.
Forwards
On the plane: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) and Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).
In the departure lounge: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), James Maddison (Tottenham), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) and Callum Wilson (Newcastle).
Hoping for a late ticket: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea) and Ivan Toney (Brentford).
England are blessed with an abundance of attacking options. Skipper Kane is a certainty, as is fleet-footed Saka. Foden, Grealish and Rashford are established performers under Southgate, while Maddison is now a regular squad member.
There are decisions to make beyond them. Sterling has won 82 caps for his country but has not featured since December’s World Cup quarter-final loss to France.
Bowen is another fighting for a sport after his October recall and was denied a chance to take his West Ham form onto the international scene by an issue sustained on the eve of the Macedonia game.
As for Kane’s back-up, Watkins scored on his return to the set-up in October but failed to further his chances with a poor performance from the start in Skopje.
Nketiah was omitted having made his debut last month, while injury hampered Wilson’s chances to prove he should go to another tournament in that role. Calvert-Lewin did at Euro 2020 and is fit again and Toney is the most interesting alternative, although his betting ban does not end until January.
England were beaten 3-2 by Croatia at Wembley on this day in 2007 to end their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008 and seal the fate of manager Steve McClaren.
Their failure to qualify for the Euros meant the writing was on the wall for McClaren, who was dismissed as boss a day later after 18 months in charge.
McClaren had watched the dismal defeat unfold in the pouring rain at Wembley from under an umbrella and was dubbed the “wally with a brolly”.
England only needed a draw to book their place at the finals in Austria and Switzerland but found themselves two goals down at the break, Scott Carson letting Niko Kranjcar’s 25-yard effort slip through his grasp for the first before former Arsenal striker Eduardo made it two.
David Beckham came off the bench for his 99th cap and inspired an England comeback as he set up Peter Crouch for a superb equaliser shortly after Frank Lampard had converted a 56th-minute penalty to put England on course for qualification.
But the fightback proved in vain as Croatia substitute Mladen Petric beat Carson from 20 yards 13 minutes from time to end England’s hopes.
After the match McClaren declared he would not be stepping down, but the Football Association took the decision out of his hands by sacking him after just 18 games, making him the shortest-serving permanent England boss in history at the time.
McClaren’s reign heralded just nine wins and ended with the team conceding three goals on home soil for the first time in 35 years.
“I feel I have let the fans down and the country down,” said McClaren.
“I knew that if we didn’t qualify that would put the board in a difficult position.
“I can understand the decision, the reaction and the criticism. It hurts and disappoints me, but that is football and it will make me stronger in the future.”
England turned next to Fabio Capello, while McClaren rebuilt his reputation by leading Dutch side FC Twente to the Eredivisie title in 2010 and had further spells at Wolfsburg, Nottingham Forest, Derby, Newcastle and QPR and is now on the coaching staff at Manchester United.
Gareth Southgate praised Rico Lewis after the teenage debutant bounced back from a contentious penalty call made against him during an impressive first England appearance away to North Macedonia.
An unbeaten year that started with victory in Italy ended with a 1-1 draw away in chilly Skopje as the Euro 2020 runners-up rubberstamped their place among the top seeds for next year’s finals.
Monday’s trip to Skopje represented England’s final match on foreign soil before Euro 2024 gets under way in June, and Southgate’s side had to dig deep after falling behind to a team they beat 7-0 in June.
Lewis was unlucky to see a spot-kick awarded against him shortly after Harry Maguire survived making a clumsy challenge in the box, with Enis Bardhi scoring after Jordan Pickford saved his initial spot-kick.
England returned from the break strongly and Southgate quickly turned to Harry Kane, who immediately forced Jani Atanasov into an own goal that would seal the draw.
“I thought the performance was good, mentality was excellent,” England boss Southgate said after bringing the curtain down on 2023. “I thought we played well, we totally controlled the game.
“It was difficult with the way that they defended and the pitch not easy to get the perfect final pass.
“But I thought there were some excellent performances within the game.
“I didn’t think that was a penalty. The one before might have been, so maybe that evened itself out.
“I’ve zero to say about (the VAR) which probably tells you everything.”
Thankfully Southgate was more forthcoming when it came to the performance of versatile talent Lewis.
Making his England debut a day shy of his 19th birthday, the left-back was in a far more advanced position in possession and reacted well to the penalty decision against him.
Lewis caught Bojan Miovski with an arm when rising to win a header and referee Filip Glova pointed to the spot after reviewing the incident on the VAR’s behest.
Asked if that moment may overshadow the teenager’s debut, Southgate said: “Well, it shouldn’t do because he was excellent.
“His performance and then his reaction to what I know will have been a disappointment for him, but we’re not looking at him for being at fault in any way.
“His composure with the ball was outstanding and he should be really proud because we are very, very pleased with what he did.”
Southgate said there was no need to console Lewis about the penalty at half-time and instead reminded him about how well he was playing.
“We thought Rico throughout the whole game was excellent,” the England manager added. “Great composure, great resilience.
“We didn’t feel he had anything to come back from but I know sometimes as a player you might feel that.
“But we thought there was no crime, so we were pleased with everything he did.”
Lewis was the youngest starter on a night when Manchester City team-mate Kyle Walker was the elder statesman and skippered his country for the first time.
“It was a nice moment for him to captain his country,” Southgate said of the 33-year-old.
“He’s really grown in terms of his leadership. I know he’s thriving on that with his club and that will be a special moment in his career as well.”
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