Gareth Southgate insists he is keeping an open mind about staying with England beyond Euro 2024 this summer.

The 53-year-old is under contract until December and accepts it is possible he may not even be in charge by the time England play Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland, Greece and Finland in the autumn.

However, he insists his decision is not yet made either way and remains open to the possibility of staying on and working with England’s exciting crop of players, led by Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham.

“There’s a fair chance half the coaches won’t be here after the Euros. That’s international football,” he said at the draw in Paris.

“You’ve got to see how the summer goes. It’s as simple as that. In my view, I know what we’re capable of achieving in the summer, I know what my own benchmark of success would be, after that I’m not really thinking about anything else.

“Without a doubt it’s exciting to take the team, it’s always been exciting to take the team, whatever the strengths of the squad. In the end, we’ve got to deliver a performance and you’ve got to make the best decisions for everybody. I won’t be in a position to make that decision before the tournament.”

While Bellingham’s place in the squad appears certain barring injury, others seem to have a much bigger fight on their hands.

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has hit the headlines recently after an unsanctioned trip to Belfast and Southgate insists all his players are being monitored on and off the field.

“We’re five weeks away from picking a squad, although so much happens to players over the period between November and March that we’re always sitting and observing everything on and off the pitch.”

The last competitive encounter between England and the Republic was a Euro 92 qualifier at Wembley, where a Niall Quinn goal cancelled out Lee Dixon’s opener.

A friendly match in 1995 at Lansdowne Road had to be abandoned due to crowd trouble and the teams’ most recent meeting was a November 2020 friendly.

England midfielder Declan Rice played three senior matches for the Republic before switching allegiance to England, while Manchester City star Jack Grealish also played for the Republic at under-age level.

Southgate said: “I have to say that I don’t know where we would have been without them. If we hadn’t had Declan over the past four years then I don’t know what we would have done.”

Football Association of Ireland director of football Marc Canham said of the draw: “It’s tough, but exciting, some amazing games and obviously we’re playing England for the first time in a while.

“It’s a great opportunity for our players and team and our amazing fans, an experience they can really look forward to.”

Wales will be up against Iceland, Montenegro and Turkey in Group B4.

Wales boss Rob Page said: “We know what Turkey are about (having played them in the Euro qualifiers last year). There are no easy games in international football but, with regards to the opposition, if we could have handpicked them we probably would have picked them.

“That’s no disrespect to them, but we want to give ourselves the best opportunity.”

Steve Clarke’s Scotland are up against Croatia, Portugal and Poland in Group A1.

Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland were drawn in Group C3, where they will take on Luxembourg, Bulgaria and Belarus.

O’Neill said: “I think they will be good games for the young squad that we have at the minute. It will be a test for them as part of their development as international players.”

The league phase will be played between September and October before League A quarter-finals and promotion/relegation play-offs take place in March 2025.

Single-leg semis and a final will be played in June 2025.

The draw for the Euro 2024 finals takes place in Hamburg on Saturday.

Here, the PA news agency provides the lowdown on what to expect.

Where and when is the draw taking place?

The finals draw will be staged in Hamburg, at the city’s Elbphilharmonie concert hall, starting at 5pm UK time. The full ceremony is slated to last for 50 minutes, with the draw itself expected to occupy 20 of those minutes.

How will the draw work?

Twenty-four countries will be divided into six groups of four. Countries have been split into four pots in accordance with their results in qualifying. Once drawn from their respective pots, a separate draw will allocate the team’s position number within their group. Hosts Germany have automatically been allocated to Group A, position 1.

Which pots are England, Scotland and Wales in?

England, who won qualifying Group C, are in the top pot as Gareth Southgate’s men aim to go one better than at the Covid-delayed Euro 2020 finals.

Scotland are in the third pot after they finished second behind Spain in Group A, while Wales will hope to be Play-Off Winner A in pot four. To do that, they must first beat Finland on March 21 and then either Poland or Estonia on March 26.

The positioning of the nations throws open the possibility of England, Scotland and Wales being drawn in the same group. England and Wales occupied the same group at the last World Cup in Qatar, while Scotland and England were grouped together at the Euro 2020 finals.

Who might those nations be seeking to avoid?

Scotland will be bracing for a tough assignment against whoever comes out of Pot One, but their qualification victory over Spain in March will give Steve Clarke’s men confidence should the draw set up a rematch next summer.

The Netherlands and Croatia are arguably the teams to avoid in Pot Three, while reigning European champions Italy are the ones to avoid in Pot Four.

How will the group stage work?

The Euros will again feature 24 teams, which has been the case since the 2016 finals in France. That means the top two in each group will progress to the last 16, with the four best third-placed teams also making it through.

When are the finals taking place?

The tournament kicks off at 8pm UK time in Munich on Friday, June 14 next year. Berlin hosts the final on July 14.

How many cities are hosting matches?

Ten cities are involved in staging finals matches – Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart.

Saracens triumphed 21-9 over Racing 92 to win the European Champions Cup final on this day in 2016.

Victory saw Saracens become the first English club to win the continent’s premier club competition since Wasps were crowned champions in 2007.

Saracens’ success came after they had lost twice in the semi-finals and once in the final during the previous three years.

They became the first team to win all of their nine games in the competition after Owen Farrell’s seven penalties steered them to a maiden title in Lyon.

Johan Goosen replied with three penalties for Racing, but the loss of New Zealand fly-half Dan Carter to injury early in the second half dealt a huge blow to the French side as he joined Maxime Machenaud on the sidelines.

The final proved an often ugly encounter, with neither side really threatening to score a try, but that would not worry Saracens as they ground out victory.

The teams traded penalties before Machenaud was forced off by a concussion in the 22nd minute, and Farrell kicked Saracens into a 9-3 half-time lead.

Carter, who had looked below his best, was then forced off early into the second half and Saracens continued to pull away.

“We have had big disappointments, but each time we have come back stronger and we are happy to have finally done it,” said man-of-the-match Maro Itoje.

“We knew this was a game we could win, we had the form coming into the game. We knew if we do what we do, dominate the gain line, then we could win. We will enjoy tonight and build on from there.”

Saracens lifted the trophy again 12 months later with a 28-17 victory over Clermont, then again in 2019 by beating Leinster 20-10.

La Rochelle lifted their first ever European Champions Cup after Arthur Retiere's late try stole a dramatic 24-21 win over Leinster at Stade Velodrome.

Despite scoring the first try in Marseille through Raymond Rhule, La Rochelle trailed for much of the match as Jonny Sexton's boot dominated for Leinster on Saturday.

He had 18 points before Pierre Bourgarit powered over for La Rochelle to tee up a nervy finish as last year's runners-up piled on the pressure.

The French side's indiscipline almost put the game beyond them, with Thomas Lavault sent to the sin bin and Ross Byrne – on for the injured Sexton with 16 minutes remaining – kicking another three points, but Retiere's last-gasp response swung the final in their favour.

Leinster, chasing a record-equalling fifth title, ultimately paid for their failure to score a try – not that it appeared to matter as Sexton converted two straightforward penalties to edge them ahead.

Rhule then bundled over in the left corner after Dillyn Leyds' offload, before another Sexton penalty put Leinster back on top, and he profited again before the break when La Rochelle were punished for more sloppiness.

West reduced the arrears with three points after the interval, but Sexton responded with a further two penalties to take Leinster out of reach of a converted La Rochelle try.

That lead was cut after 61 minutes, however, as Bourgarit crossed following a maul and West's conversion made it a one-point game.

Sexton limped off in the aftermath of that try, but La Rochelle's momentum appeared to be halted when Lavault was yellow-carded for tripping Jamison Gibson-Park, allowing replacement Byrne to dispatch the subsequent kick.

And yet there was still time, with a prolonged period of La Rochelle pressure ending in Retiere breaking through to claim Champions Cup glory for his side at the second time of asking.

La Rochelle will face Leinster in the European Champions Cup final after beating Racing 92 20-13 in an almighty battle at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

A year after losing to Toulouse in the final, La Rochelle will have another chance to be crowned European champions for the first time at Stade Velodrome on May 28 after fighting back to defeat their Top 14 rivals on a hot Sunday in Lens.

A second-half penalty try, which resulted in Racing being reduced to 13 men for around eight minutes, was a key moment in the semi-final as it put La Rochelle in front for the first time.

Ronan O'Gara's side edged out the Ireland legend's former employers to set up a repeat of last year's semi-final in Marseille, Ihaia West making amends for an off day with the boot by sealing it with a try right at the end.

Nolann Le Garrec put Racing in front with an early penalty and West failed to make it 3-3 when he missed a straightforward chance from the tee.

Virimi Vakatawa extended the Paris club's lead with a sharp sidestep to squeeze beyond two defenders and dot down for an opening try, which Le Garrec converted after 25 minutes.

La Rochelle applied sustain pressure and although Raymond Rhule had a try ruled out as the ball was not clearly out of a ruck when he scooped it up, West's penalty got them on the board and Gregory Alldritt powered his way over on the stroke of half-time.

West was unable to add the extras and the La Rochelle fly-half was off target with another penalty early in the second half before the ice cool Le Garrec booted Racing into a 13-8 lead.

Ill-disciplined Racing were rocked when Camille Chat and Cedate Gomes Sa were sent to the sin bin in quick succession, the second offence resulting in a penalty try that put last year's runners-up 15-13 up with just under half an hour go.

A disjointed and sloppy La Rochelle side failed to increase their advantage while Racing were two men down, during which time Le Garrec missed from the tee twice.

Pierre Popelin stepped up to miss a penalty at the other end, but O'Gara's men ended Racing's hopes of winning the Champions Cup for the first time, with West diving over to seal it.

James Lowe scored a try in each half as magnificent Leinster reached the European Champions Cup final with a 40-17 defeat of holders Toulouse at a raucous Aviva Stadium.

Leinster will face La Rochelle or Racing 92 at the Stade Velodrome on May 28 after a hugely impressive win over the Top 14 side in Dublin on Saturday.

Johnny Sexton pulled the strings and scored 15 points in an influential display as Leo Cullen's side, who scored four tries, kept themselves in the hunt to match Toulouse's record tally of being crowned European champions for a fifth time in Marseille. 

Fly-half Sexton's penalty put Leinster in front, but Antoine Dupont raced from deep in his own half to go under the posts to punish Jamison Gibson-Park for a poor grubber kick.

Sexton doubled his tally with the boot and Leinster were rewarded for piling on the pressure with two tries in the space of five minutes, Lowe finishing from close range before Josh van der Flier crashed over after they lost Tadhg Furlong to injury only 16 minutes in.

It was five successful kicks out of five for Sexton when he added another penalty after one from Thomas Ramos at the other end, before Emmanuel Meafou was sin-binned late in the first half.

Leinster failed to increase their 23-10 lead while Meafou was off the field, but Lowe was left with a simple finish after he was picked out by the excellent Sexton, who expertly added the extras.

Selevasio Tolofua gave defiant Toulouse hope when he bundled himself over in the right corner and Ramos converted with 15 minutes to go, but Ross Byrne was on target with a penalty and converted a late Hugo Keenan try as Cullen's men marched into the final.

Toulouse won a record fifth European Champions Cup and their first since 2010 thanks to a 22-17 win over La Rochelle, who played much of the match a man light.

Both sides traded penalty blows during a feisty opening at Twickenham, with the scores level at 6-6 in the 27th minute thanks to Ihaia West's successful kick for La Rochelle.

But they suffered a massive setback just a few moments later as Levani Botia floored Maxime Medard with an ugly high hit.

As Botia walked off towards the sin-bin, the television match official ensured his punishment was upgraded to a red card, the first ever in a Champions Cup final.

Yet La Rochelle made it to the break with a 12-9 lead, with West's four kicks to Romain Ntamack's three the difference after a compelling – albeit brutal – first half.

West missed the target early in the second half, though, and Ntamack again evened the score as Toulouse started to up the ante.

La Rochelle were putting up a good fight with their 14 men but Toulouse finally got the match's first try with an hour played, Juan Cruz Mallia going over out wide after being fed by Selevasio Tolofua.

Toulouse looked to be coasting home as they went 22-12 up with the conversion, though a Tawera Kerr-Barlow try with five minutes to go made life a little nervy.

However, Toulouse held on to seal their fifth European crown and surpass Leinster on four, with La Rochelle's maiden appearance in a final ending in disappointment.

La Rochelle earned a convincing 32-23 victory over Leinster at Stade Marcel Deflandre to reach their first European Champions Cup final.

The French side, who had never previously made it as far as the last four, will now face fellow Top 14 club Toulouse at Twickenham on May 22.

Leinster have won the competition on four previous occasions and started Sunday's contest brightly through Tadhg Furlong's eighth-minute try.

The hosts were a man short at that point after Wiaan Liebenberg was sin-binned for an offside infringement, but they hit back thanks to a penalty and drop goal from Ihaia West.

West was successful from a couple more kicks before half-time, but only after Ross Byrne had added six points from the boot for Leinster in a tightly-contested opening period that ended with the visitors ahead by one.

That kicking battle ensued in the early stages of the second period when Byrne responded to West edging La Rochelle in front for the first time in the contest.

Leinster were a point to the good at that point but lost James Lowe to a yellow card for not rolling away in what proved to be a pivotal moment in an entertaining clash.

West split the sticks once more to restore his side's advantage and Gregory Alldritt found a way over the line 15 minutes from time, which West inevitably added to with the extras.

La Rochelle pushed for another try to seal the win and they found it as Will Skelton broke away from the driving maul to start the celebrations.

Byrne had the final say in terms of the scoring by finding a gap and dotting down late on, but La Rochelle comfortably held on to set up an all-French final at Twickenham.

Toulouse booked their place in the European Champions Cup final for the first time since 2010 as they defeated Bordeaux-Begles 21-9 on Saturday.

Romain Ntamack tallied up 11 points with the boot as fellow France star Antoine Dupont crossed for hosts Toulouse's second try of the game late on.

Matthieu Jalibert kicked Bordeaux ahead with a penalty early on, though Matthis Lebel swiftly went over to put four-time winners Toulouse in front – a try teed up by Dupont and Ntamack.

Another Jalibert three-pointer had Bordeaux back ahead, but they then had to withstand 10 minutes being down to 14 men after Cameron Woki was sin-binned.

Yet having seen off the onslaught, Bordeaux succumbed before the break, with Ntamack nudging a penalty through the sticks.

More ill-discipline from Bordeaux enabled Ntamack to nose Toulouse firmly into the driving seat following the restart, though a third penalty from Jalibert brought Bordeaux back to within five points.

Yet Bordeaux's hopes were dashed when Dupont raced through to secure Toulouse's seventh appearance in a Champions Cup final.

The showdown will be played at Twickenham on May 22, potentially in front of a crowd of up to 10,000 spectators. Leinster and La Rochelle face off in the second semi-final on Sunday.

Twickenham will host the European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals, with up to 10,000 fans in attendance at each.

The iconic London venue was chosen to stage the two showpiece contests after coronavirus restrictions meant Marseille was ruled out of hosting duties.

European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) and the Rugby Football Union released a joint statement confirming the news on Friday.

The Challenge Cup final will take place on 21 May, with the Champions Cup showdown the following day, and thousands of supporters will be welcomed to both.

"Fans are the lifeblood of European club tournaments and we are delighted to be able to welcome them back in a COVID-secure environment for this season's finals," said EPCR CEO Vincent Gaillard.

"Twickenham has a storied history with club rugby's greatest tournament, and it will be a fitting venue to see silverware contested next month."

The identity of the four finalists will be known after the coming weekend, with Toulouse facing Bordeaux Begles and La Rochelle meeting Leinster in the premier continental knockout tournament, while there is a possibility of an all-English final in the Challenge Cup as Leicester Tigers take on Ulster and Bath tackle Montpellier.

The European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup have been temporarily suspended after the French authorities ruled the participation of Top 14 clubs to be too much of a public health risk. 

European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) made the announcement on Monday following a meeting last week with French government officials. 

Due to concern over a new variant of coronavirus, the French government has decided to prevent its clubs from participating in games both in France and in the United Kingdom and Ireland. 

It means the EPCR has been forced to suspend the Champions Cup with two rounds of the pool phase remaining. The Challenge Cup is in its preliminary phase. 

The development would appear to place the 2021 Six Nations, scheduled to start with a meeting between France and Italy in Rome on February 6, in jeopardy. 

Last year's Six Nations tournament was only completed in October because of the pandemic-enforced delay. 

An EPCR statement read: "EPCR and the Ligue Nationale de Rugby took part in a meeting by audio conference last week with representatives of the French ministries of the Interior, Health and Sport, as well as of the President's office. 

"Notable updates to EPCR's COVID-19 protocols were presented to the French authorities, including the addition of PCR tests no earlier than three days before matches in the tournaments, conforming to French government guidelines and supplementing the existing, meticulous contact tracing measures put in place with a view to limiting the risk of transmission. 

"Against the backdrop of the recent detection of a new strain of coronavirus, the French government has directed that French clubs postpone their participation in EPCR's tournaments for the month of January, both for matches scheduled in France and for those due to be played in the United Kingdom and Ireland. 

"On the basis of this directive, EPCR had no choice but to temporarily suspend the pool stage of the Heineken Champions Cup and the preliminary stage of the Challenge Cup. 

"While respecting all further directives by governments and local authorities, and prioritising the health and welfare of players and club staff, EPCR, in conjunction with its shareholder leagues and unions, remains committed to trying to find a solution which will enable it to resume and complete the tournaments as soon as practicable. 

"EPCR will be making no further comment at the present time."