Gareth Southgate cannot understand why fans turned on Jordan Henderson after the long-serving England vice-captain was booed off against Australia at Wembley.
Eyebrows were raised when the 33-year-old swapped his role as Liverpool skipper for the Saudi Pro League, joining Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq in a controversial £12million deal.
Henderson had been a high-profile supporter of LGBTQ+ rights during his time at Anfield and last month apologised for any hurt he caused by moving to a country where homosexuality is illegal.
There was no noticeable negative reaction towards him during September’s doubleheader against Ukraine and Scotland, but things were different in England’s first home match since his controversial move.
There were murmurs when Henderson’s named was read out before Friday’s 1-0 friendly win against Australia at sold-out Wembley, where he was jeered by some fans when replaced in the second half.
“I really don’t understand it,” Southgate said of the reaction. “He’s a player who I think has 79 caps now for England.
“His commitment and what he has delivered for England is exceptional.
“His role within the group on and off the pitch is phenomenally important.
“He’s the one that has taken the likes of Jude Bellingham under his wing as soon as he came in the squad, provides a brilliant role model for all of the group in his professionalism and his approach to every part of his work.
“Some people decided to boo. I really don’t understand what that is for.
“We’ve got players in England shirts. Yeah, come on, we play Italy on Tuesday (in a key Euro 2024 qualifier). Let’s get behind this team.
“I know we weren’t at our best tonight but that was due to a lot of changes we made and we gave the players out there a difficult task because to be cohesive with so many changes is tough.
“But I would just say that this is a team that are delivering a lot and they all deserve everybody’s support.”
Speaking upon calling up Henderson for September’s fixtures, Southgate said “I don’t really know why a player would receive an adverse reaction because of where he plays.”
Asked if perhaps the player’s recent promotion of Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid might have had an impact, Southgate said: “What has that got to do with supporting a guy wearing an England shirt?”
Put to him that England fans may not agree with Henderson’s principles, he said: “Well, yeah, I don’t really know where we are heading with everything.
“I’m hugely impressed with the impeccable values and decisions that everybody in our country is making then.
“Yeah, clearly, I don’t understand it. I know what’s created it and I know why it has happened, but it defies logic to me that you would give a player who is playing and putting his heart and soul into playing for England… why boo him?
“How is that going to help him or help the team?”
Southgate was later quizzed about his comments relating to what created the reception, only to respond “there’s nothing to gained by going over it, really”.
The England manager was heard loud and clear in the post-match press conference, but the same could not be said for counterpart Graham Arnold.
The passionate Australia boss lost his voice on a night when his side pushed England close, only to lose to returning Ollie Watkins’ 57th-minute effort.
Arnold’s assistant Rene Meulensteen instead faced the media and was asked if it felt like a missed opportunity given the Socceroos’ performance under the arch.
“Yeah, I think so,” the former Manchester United coach said.
“Having said that, I think we’d be very, very proud of this performance.
“Sometimes in football you play games and the results are not going for you, then you try to look for what the causes are.
“But this, I think, is one of those losses where you can be really, really proud of the performance.
“I mean, we played against a very strong nation.
“They’ve obviously got a very big game coming up in a few days against Italy as we all know but they can field two world-class teams, without a shadow of a doubt.”
Sane looking to replicate Yamal, Williams impact when Germany face Spain
Leroy Sane is hoping he can replicate the impact of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams when Euro 2024 hosts Germany face Spain in a huge quarter-final tussle on Friday.
Germany will face La Roja for a spot in the last four in Stuttgart after overcoming Denmark 2-0 in the last 16, while Luis de la Fuente's side beat Georgia 4-1 after falling behind.
Spain have arguably been the standout team at the tournament thus far, with the impact of their young wing duo Yamal and Williams turning heads.
Sixteen-year-old Yamal assisted as he became the youngest player to feature in a Euros match against Croatia in the group stage, also teeing up Fabian Ruiz against Georgia to become the first teenager with multiple assists at the Euros since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2004 (also two).
Williams, meanwhile, netted a fine solo goal on Sunday, becoming the first player on record at the Euros (since 1980) to score, assist and complete 100% of his passes (46/46) in a game he started.
Yamal (11) and Williams (nine) rank joint-third and joint-seventh for dribbles completed at Euro 2024, with the former also fifth for the total distance he has carried the ball upfield (556.8 metres).
Having replaced Florian Wirtz in Germany's starting lineup against Denmark, Bayern Munich man Sane is desperate to match his fellow wingers.
"Especially when they win possession, they instantly look to play forward. They now have an added weapon with their two very quick wingers," Sane said of Spain.
"What happened in the past against Spain, we cannot change that. Our goal is to get to the next round and we will do everything we can to achieve that."
Sane endured a stop-start season with Bayern, with a groin problem he sustained during the Bundesliga run-in threatening his place at Germany's home tournament.
Reflecting on his disrupted preparations, Sane added: "I didn't know how long the injury would last and if I would make the tournament.
"At the end of the day I am here and happy that it worked out and that I could recover and be here for the Euros.
"It is not yet completely gone but it is much, much better than before. I have no pain any longer and that is very good.
"Before when I had a game I needed five or six days for the pain to subside. I don't have that anymore."
Southgate salutes England's 'togetherness and spirit' but acknowledges need for improvement
Gareth Southgate hailed the togetherness and spirit demonstrated by England, but acknowledged the need to improve ahead of their Euro 2024 quarter-final with Switzerland.
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.
Martinez salutes Ronaldo and Diogo Costa as shootout hero revels in 'best game of my life'
Roberto Martinez paid tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo's character and Diogo Costa's penalty shootout heroics after Portugal scraped through to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
The 2016 champions were given an almighty scare by a stubborn Slovenia, who kept them at bay for 120 minutes at Frankfurt Arena - thanks largely to Jan Oblak in goal.
The Atletico Madrid stopper reduced Ronaldo to tears when he saved his tame penalty in the first half of extra time. However, the Portugal skipper made no mistake in the shootout, where Diogo Costa took centre stage.
The Porto goalkeeper, who produced a crucial save to deny Benjamin Sesko in the second half of extra time, then kept out all three Slovenia kicks from Josip Ilicic, Jure Balkovec and Benjamin Verbic.
And Martinez was full of admiration for the efforts of both players.
"Ronaldo missed a penalty and then was decisive when he started the penalty shoot-out, he paved the way," the Portugal head coach told EURO2024.com.
"It was a victory for unity, from the dressing room and Cristiano is our captain. He showed that in life and in football, there are difficult moments and we can't give up, we have to keep going and it was a demonstration of what to do when things aren't going well."
"We worked very well, the energy, strength and passion in the dressing room to win a game like that is incredible."
On Diogo Costa, Martinez added: "The secret of Portugal is Diogo Costa, he's the most hidden secret in European football.
"Today, he appeared on a different level, he was incredible in the one-on-one situation [with Sesko], and then he had the focus and quality to make three consecutive saves in the shootout. We have to be very proud of him."
Diogo Costa became the first goalkeeper to ever save three penalties in a European Championship shootout.
"This is probably the best game of my life," he said. "I focused on doing what I had to do. I went with my gut feeling. Of course, we analysed the penalty takers, but players change, and they change how they shoot.
"I am very happy and very excited to have helped the team. These are the hardest games as I barely touched the ball, but the hard work paid off.
"We all felt we needed to keep believing [after Ronaldo's first penalty]. We believed until the very end, and we're all very happy."
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