Kieran Trippier says England cannot use tiredness as an excuse for their Euro 2024 heartbreak after losing the final to Spain.

The Three Lions fought back through Cole Palmer after Nico Williams' early second-half opener but conceded a late Mikel Oyarzabal goal in their 2-1 defeat to La Roja.

It is the second consecutive European Championships final England lost, with Gareth Southgate admitting after Sunday's match that some players were "a little bit short of their physical peak".

However, Trippier, who started all six of their games en route to the final, says that is not an excuse.

"The team that we've got is fit," the right-back said. "If you see the running stats, I think we're probably the highest in the whole tournament. So that's not an excuse.

"They [Spain] get the second goal, and it's always difficult when you're chasing the game against a team like Spain.

"Football is all about fine margins. It's one of those where the lads gave everything."

England's run to the final was not a smooth one, having to come from behind in the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals to set up the meeting with Spain.

Jude Bellingham scored a late equaliser to ensure the Three Lions did not make an early exit in the round of 16 against Slovakia, while 22-year-old Palmer came off the bench to score in the final.

Kobbie Mainoo and Marc Guehi also impressed in their maiden major tournament appearances, and Trippier is confident England have a bright future ahead of them.

"They will have learned a great deal from this tournament," added Trippier.

"The young players stepped up in big moments for us. They can learn a lot from this. It will make them grow."

Marc Cucurella is hoping that Chelsea teammate Cole Palmer remains on the bench as he laid out his plan to stop Bukayo Saka ahead of Spain's Euro 2024 final against England. 

Palmer is yet to start for Gareth Southgate at the tournament, despite netting 22 goals in 34 Premier League appearances in a turbulent season at Stamford Bridge. 

However, the 22-year-old proved his worth from the bench, teeing up Ollie Watkins' late strike against the Netherlands to secure their place in back-to-back European Championship finals. 

Asked whether he had been in contact with his Chelsea teammate, Cucurella told Mundo Deportivo: “I spoke with him, but it was over a week ago. We talked for a while in the previous rounds.

“For me, it’s much better if he doesn’t play and stays on the bench.”

Having endured a difficult season at club level, Cucurella has starred for La Roja in Germany, starting all but one of their fixtures at the finals. 

Injuries to Jose Gaya and Alejandro Balde resulted in his inclusion in Luis de la Fuente's final 26-man squad. 

Although many expected Bayer Leverkusen's Alex Grimaldo to start at left-back, Cucurella has made that position his own and has been one of the most consistent players at the tournament. 

But when asked by The Athletic if there was an English player he particularly struggled against, Cucurella said: "He has not played a lot at Euro 2024, but it has to be Cole Palmer. 

"His football brain works so quickly, he is always a step ahead of the rest. His decision-making is almost always excellent, and that sort of intelligence is the most difficult thing to defend against, you just can’t predict what he’ll do next. I’ve suffered a lot in training.

"He reminds me a lot of Lamine Yamal. Same style of player. He is a guy who does not care too much about anything. They don’t take life or themselves too seriously.

"If you ran into Palmer in the streets, you would never tell he is a footballer. But then he plays and… oof.

"He arrived at a tough time for Chelsea, when the team was struggling, and he made an impact from the start. That helped him a lot to keep growing and getting more confident. If you manage to get those kinds of players in a situation of confidence, they make the difference.

"I’m so happy and hope he carries on like this… but after this weekend!"

Cucurella is likely to come up against Saka in Berlin should Gareth Southgate stick with the same side that edged past the Netherlands last time out.

The Spaniard knows all too well the threat that Saka possesses, having seen him notch an assist in each of their Premier League encounters last season. 

And Cucurella plans to make Sunday's final as uncomfortable as possible for the Arsenal man. 

"I know how Saka plays. I don’t really need to watch a lot of footage as I normally watch all the Arsenal games," Cucurella said.

"It is so tough to mark him, but those challenges are nice for me. Playing against rivals of such quality is nice, I’m sure we both can’t wait for it. 

"My main target is to make him feel uncomfortable. I also think that the game’s script will depend a lot on Spain and how we play, rather than what England do.

"If we dominate the ball as we’ve done and stay aware of the high pressure and everything we need to do to avoid counter-attacks, we’ll have plenty of chances to win."

Ollie Watkins revealed that his celebration in England's semi-final victory over the Netherlands was dedicated to both Lewis Dunk and Dean Henderson. 

Watkins scored late to book England's place in the Euro 2024 final against Spain on Sunday as the Three Lions came back from Xavi Simons' opener. 

The Aston Villa striker netted only the second ever 90th-minute winning goal in a European Championship knockout tie, sparking wild scenes in Dortmund. 

Watkins raced away after squeezing the ball beyond Bart Verbruggen, running towards the England bench to celebrate his fourth and most important international goal. 

Both Dunk and Henderson, who have yet to play a single minute in Germany, were among the first to embrace Watkins. 

"I did make a promise to Deano and Dunky that, if I scored, I would run over and celebrate with them," Watkins said on the latest episode of the Lions' Den.

"Sometimes you can feel a little bit left out because you're not on the pitch making that impact.

"So me celebrating with them, obviously I've been on sitting on the bench experiencing that and I just wanted to make it special for everyone.

"It was nice that they all jumped on the pitch and could be a part of it."

Watkins' strike saw him become England's newly crowned hero on the international stage, but fellow substitute Cole Palmer also played an important part in the winner. 

The pair were introduced in the 80th minute and made an almost instant impact. 

Palmer's assist for Watkins was the first time two substitutes have combined for a goal for England in the knockout stages of a major tournament.

The 28-year-old said that he predicted the impact he and the Chelsea midfielder would have on proceedings having worked closely together in training. 

"You've got to have that belief when you're going on the pitch to that you're going to bring something to the team, bring some energy, and for me, when I've got the ball there, I knew I had to be selfish and shoot because I may not get another opportunity," Watkins said.

Where did England's tournament start to turn?

Was it with Jude Bellingham's stunning overhead kick against Slovakia?

Was it with Bukayo Saka's exquisite equaliser against Switzerland?

Was it when Jordan Pickford and Trent Alexander-Arnold dragged them over the line in the shootout?

Or what about seven minutes into Wednesday's meeting with the Netherlands, when Xavi Simons cannoned in the earliest goal scored in a Euros semi-final since Alan Shearer scored for England against Germany in 1996?

Strange, perhaps, but it was that goal that seemed to see the shackles finally come off for the Three Lions. They had stuttered and staggered their way through Euro 2024, but eventually that approach can, and almost certainly will, come unstuck.

Yet after that Simons strike had rifled in beyond Pickford, a fire seemed to spark in England's bellies. 

This was the time it had to come good. It was do or die. And for much of Wednesday's clash in Dortmund, England were the better side and, arguably for the first time in the tournament, deserved victors.

It did not come easy, of course. Harry Kane pulled them level from the spot after a contentious VAR decision in the 18th minute. Phil Foden had a deft touch cleared off the line and saw the post deny him a wondergoal. 

One of the criticisms aimed at Gareth Southgate has been his use of Foden, but a switch of system in the quarter-final saw the Premier League's Player of the Season truly arrive in Germany. In the first half, he completed all 27 of his passes, and had the most shots (three). Behind him, Kobbie Mainoo, the youngest player to feature for England in the semi-finals of a major tournament, dovetailed brilliantly with Declan Rice.

The second half was a different story. Ronald Koeman reacted, the Dutch shored things up in midfield. They had the best chances, looking dangerous from set-pieces.

For long swathes of the second period, it looked as though the fear of losing had come back to freeze England, to grip Southgate and his players. Were they playing for extra time? Had that bravery gone?

But at the right time, Southgate turned to his bench. Kane, now the record goalscorer in the knockout stage at the Euros, made way for Ollie Watkins. Foden went off to be replaced by Cole Palmer. Bukayo Saka had just seen a goal disallowed, though extra time seemed to be beckoning.

And like his changes worked against Switzerland; like they worked against Slovakia, when Ivan Toney helped turn the tide, Southgate's substitutions worked again.

Watkins stretched the Dutch defence, Palmer threaded through an inch-perfect pass. Watkins spun Stefan de Vrij and, with a swish of his right boot, from the tightest of angles, picked out the opposite corner with a finish that came with an expected goals value of just 0.1.

It is only the second 90th-minute winning goal in a European Championship knockout tie. Timed at 89:59, it was the latest winning goal scored in the semi-final at the Euros or Wolrd Cup (excluding extra time).

It was also England's only shot on target in the second half of this match.

But the bravery was there. The intent was there from the moment England went behind. 

"It's something that is built through failure, through the first few games that didn’t go so well, but it's important you build that fire and build some sort of resistance through it. It's important we came together," said Bellingham, whose lung-busting run down the left in the dying seconds helped get England over the line.

"These moments are great – it brings us together as a team and a family, because of that you get stronger. They make us more together, it's about taking that into the final now."

England are together. They have now reached the final in two of their four major tournaments under Southgate (also Euro 2020) – they had only done so in one of their previous 23 World Cup/Euros appearances.

They finished this match with 1.3 xG to the Dutch's 0.56. They had more shots (nine to seven) and more touches in the opponent's box (19 to 11). They were better. Now, they are on the brink of history. Spain stand in their way.

Harry Kane revelled in the "special" feeling after England clinched their Euro 2024 final place in dramatic fashion, acknowledging the Three Lions now have "one more game to make history".

Ollie Watkins climbed off the bench to score a 90th-minute winner as Gareth Southgate's side edged out the Netherlands to set up a showdown with Spain in Sunday's showpiece.

The match had appeared set to head for extra time with Kane's penalty drawing England level after Xavi Simons had fired the Oranje in front.

But there was to be a dramatic late twist with Watkins, on as a substitute for the skipper, sending the Three Lions through to their first final at a major tournament on foreign soil, and move them within one victory of their first silverware since 1966.

"History made. Amazing achievement," Kane told ITV Sport. "Every player, every member of staff, I'm so proud of them.

"To do what we've done away from home is really special. There's that feeling there's one more left, and we need to do that on Sunday.

"Especially in the first half, we had a lot of control. Second half, there were a few tired legs out there. Overall, I thought we deserved to win it.

"There's one more game to make history. That's what we're excited about. It's been a tough journey, but there's one more. 90 minutes, 120, penalties - whatever it takes, we'll be there. I'm looking forward to it."

Watkins was making only his second appearance at the tournament, having also replaced Kane during England's second Group C game against Denmark.

Kane and Jude Bellingham paid tribute to the Aston Villa forward, saluting his patience and for grasping his opportunity.

"We talk about being ready. We're a big team at being ready," Kane said. "When it matters, you might get five minutes, one minute, but you can make a difference, you can win us a tournament.

"He's been waiting, he's been patient. What he did was outstanding and he deserves it."

Bellingham added: "I'm so happy for him. He came on, took his opportunity. As a team, we're buzzing for him.

"You miss your family, your holidays and you're not starting every game like you would at the club – but Ollie’s a hero, he's saved us."

Ollie Watkins told Cole Palmer he would set him up for a goal as they were waiting to come on for England.

The forward then scored the winning goal, assisted by Palmer, to seal a 2-1 win over the Netherlands and book their place in the Euro 2024 final.

The Three Lions had to come from behind once again after Xavi Simons' early goal gave the Netherlands the lead, before Harry Kane levelled from the spot shortly after.

Asked about his goal, Watkins said he knew what to expect as soon as Palmer got the ball at his feet.

"I've been waiting for that moment for weeks," Watkins told ITV Sport after the game.

"It's taken a lot of hard work to get to where I am today. Grateful I got the opportunity, and I grabbed it with both hands. I'm delighted.

"I swear on my life and my kid's life, I said to Cole Palmer: We're coming on today and you're gonna set me up.

"And that's why I was so happy with Coley. I knew as soon as he got the ball, he was gonna play me and you've got to be greedy.

"Touch and finish. When I saw it go in the bottom corner, best feeling ever."

One criticism of Gareth Southgate at the tournament so far has been the timing of his substitutions, with the England manager often choosing to leave it late before making any changes.

Watkins has defended his manager's tactics, crediting the "special" nature of the squad.

"There's been a lot of critiscism but at the end of the day we're in the final," he added. "So forget the outside noise, we're in the final.

"It's special. We've got that bounce-back factor. Going a goal behind seems to kick us into gear.

"We never give up. We've won on penalties, we've come from behind. One more game. We're ready for Spain."

Gareth Southgate must look towards starting Anthony Gordon or Cole Palmer in England's Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland on Saturday, says former Three Lions defender Wes Brown.

England seemed set to be heading out in the last 16 last Sunday until Jude Bellingham's superb 95th-minute overhead kick sent the tie to extra time against Slovakia.

Harry Kane then headed in the winner just a minute after the restart, with England able to hold on to get into the last eight with a 2-1 comeback victory.

Southgate has resisted altering his line-up so far at the Euros, making just two changes to his starting XI in four games, yet Brown believes England would benefit from considering their two youthful attackers.

"He's [Southgate] the manager and he's stayed with the same four at the top with Bellingham there," said Brown, speaking to Stats Perform at the Home of Adidas football in Berlin.

"And I think we've all seen the likes of Palmer come on and do really well. It's just a matter of, for the next stages, are you going to change one or two players?

"I don't think it will change much in general. It's not like any of the lads have done anything bad, but no one's played brilliantly as well.

"I think that's where people talk about balance and maybe we should bring Gordon on, or Palmer especially to change it, because he is the in-form player at the moment, I think everyone would agree.

"We've managed and done enough to get through to where we are, and I think that speaks for itself considering we've not played great, fluent football."

England scored just two goals as they topped Group C with one win and two draws, and their games produced the fewest expected goals (xG) among the teams during the group stage (2.26 for, 1.13 against).

Bellingham's leveller was the first shot on target against Slovakia in the last 16, though Brown credited the team's mentality to keep going until the end.

"The way we've been playing, we've not really created much," Brown, a 23-cap international for England, said.

"I know we hit the post, and we had one other opportunity. [But it’s] not quite up to the standard everybody hoped we were going to be. But we're through.

"I think that's very important; the lads have maintained the mentality to keep going and get the goals when needed. I know for a fact we can play much better and we've got another opportunity now to do that against Switzerland at the weekend."

England, however, suffered a blow early on in the last 16, as Marc Guehi received his second booking of the tournament in the third minute, ruling him out of Saturday's game.

The Crystal Palace centre-back has received plaudits for his performances so far, yet Southgate is now facing a dilemma over who will partner John Stones in defence.

"It's a tough one," Brown added. "The obvious choice is either [Ezri] Konza or [Lewis] Dunk.

"Dunk hasn't had any game time at the moment. Konza came on the last time and played out of position a little bit, so I would have thought it would be Konza.

"But the manager is going to have to come up with a decision, he could easily move a few other people around, I don't know, could you play [Kyle] Walker there?

"There's a lot to think about, but if you're talking like-for-like, you've probably got to bring Konza in."

And with that, the Euro 2024 group stages conclude on yet another dramatic day of action across Germany. 

Turkiye, Georgia, Romania, Belgium and Slovakia were the final teams to secure their place in the knockout stages of the tournament. 

Here, we unpack the best of Wednesday's social media clips from the football at the European Championship.

Germany eyeing Denmark task

Julian Nagelsmann's side now know their opponents for the knockout stages of Euro 2024 following the conclusion of Group C on Tuesday.

The hosts will travel to Dortmund this Saturday to play Denmark at the Westfalenstadion for a place in the quarter-finals. 

Having had two extra days of rest compared to their opponents, Germany will be hopeful of continuing their impressive start to the tournament. 

Varga returns to Hungary

Following a successful operation, Hungary striker Barnabas Varga has been discharged from hospital and returned home to continue his recovery. 

The 29-year-old was left with multiple broken facial bones and a concussion after colliding with Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn last Sunday. 

Varga's club side, Ferencvaros, posted a picture to X of the striker waving to the camera upon his return back.

Skills on show from Zinchenko

Ahead of Ukraine's meeting with Belgium in Stuttgart, defender Oleksandr Zinchenko was seen showing off his skills. 

The Arsenak full-back was introduced as a second-half substitute against the Red Devils, but was unable to prevent his side from finishing bottom of Group E. 

Ukraine became the first side in European Championship history to fail to progress to the knockout stages of the competition after claiming four points. 

A night to remember for Kvaratskhelia

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia starred in a landmark triumph for Georgia over Portugal, and was able to grab a souvenir to remember the occasion. 

In a video posted to his Instagram, the Napoli forward managed to grab Cristiano Ronaldo's shirt at full-time.

With that memento to cherish, Kvaratskhelia will hope to power Georgia through Sunday's last-16 meeting with Spain, the only side still boasting a 100 per cent record in Germany.

Nagelsmann's future number one?

Germany confirmed top spot in Group A on Matchday 3, coming from a goal down to draw with Switzerland in Frankfurt. 

Manuel Neuer has kept one clean sheet from his three games, but could have found his future replacement in goal. 

The Bayern Munich goalkeeper was seen sharing a moment with a ball boy prior to kick-off, with the youngster approving of Neuer's throw to him with a thumbs up. 

De la Fuente thanks Spanish journalists

The relationship between footballers and journalists can often come into question but that is not the case for Spain manager Luis de la Fuente. 

La Roja's head coach met with the Spanish media to thank them for their coverage of Spain's perfect start to the tournament, even sharing food and drink with them. 

Kane ready for important part of Euro 2024

After failing to dazzle in their three group games, England captain Harry Kane insists his side are ready to shine in the knockout stages of Euro 2024. 

The Bayern Munich striker joined Josh Denzel on Wednesday's episode of the Lions' Den, discussing finishing top of Group C and controlling their destiny moving forward. 

"Got a game on Sat!"

The Azzurri face a stern test in the last-16 as they look to retain their European Championship crown. 

Luciano Spalletti's side face Switzerland in Berlin on Saturday, with Italy's social media account quick to remind them of getting back into training. 

Ferdinand backs Mainoo and Palmer to take England to glory

There were perhaps only two positives from England's draw with Slovakia; topping the group and the introductions of Kobbie Mainoo and Cole Palmer. 

The Three Lions young guns made their case for a starting spot against Slovakia in their last-16 fixture on Sunday.

And Rio Ferdinand believes Gareth Southgate must start the pair in Gelsenkirchen, and for the rest of the tournament to stand any chance of success. 
 

England finished first in Group C at Euro 2024 but again disappointed during their goalless draw with Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday.

The Three Lions endured another flat display in front of goal, with Bukayo Saka's ruled out first-half effort the only real moment of quality from Gareth Southgate's side.

An injection of pace from substitute Cole Palmer threatened to spark England into life, but a winning goal eluded them as they finished with just five points from their three group games.  

Despite the draw, England topped Group C following Serbia's goalless draw with Denmark, meaning they avoided a last-16 tie against hosts Germany. Matjaz Kek's side, meanwhile, secured their place in the knockout stages for the first time ever at a major tournament.

With hopes of a fast start from the Three Lions, it was Slovenia who registered the first effort as Benjamin Sesko saw his header comfortably gathered by Jordan Pickford. 

England thought they had taken the lead when Saka rounded off a slick attacking move, only to see what would have been his 12th international goal ruled out for offside.

Kieran Trippier came close to providing the opening goal, but his teasing delivery evaded both Conor Gallagher and Harry Kane inside the Slovenia penalty area. 

The introduction of Kobbie Mainoo for Gallagher at half-time aimed to add some attacking impetus, with his presence instantly sparking the absent pace from the England midfield. 

John Stones almost marked his 75th England appearance with a goal as he saw his header cleared off the line, with Marc Guehi unable to keep the loose ball alive. 

England continued to create a flurry of potential opportunities, with Declan Rice flashing an effort wide of Jan Oblak's goal and substitute Cole Palmer also seeing his effort repelled by Slovenia's number one. 

The result for Southgate's side confirmed Croatia's elimination from the tournament, with the full-time whistle greeted with frustration by the England support as Slovenia celebrated a remarkable achievement.

England yet to dazzle, but get the job done

With the expectations of England's plethora of attacking options possibly being enough to win the tournament on their own, it was yet another underwhelming display. 

A front three of Kane, Saka and Phil Foden managed just two shots on target between them, with the trio also managing just nine touches in Slovenia's penalty box. 

With much of the focus surrounding Jude Bellingham, the Los Blancos star was a shadow of the man who scored 23 goals for Real Madrid this season. 

The 20-year-old completed 86% of his 57 passes, the second-lowest of England's midfield behind Gallagher (85%) and an improvement will be needed regardless of whoever England's last-16 opponents end up being.

Resilient Slovenia get their rewards

Despite failing to win a game at Euro 2024, Slovenia proved difficult opponents for each of Group C's sides and have received their just rewards. 

Slovenia are now undefeated in their last 4 games in the Euros, their longest unbeaten streak in the competition (since at least 1992).

Kek's side can also take pride from maintaining their unbeaten record arriving into the tournament, and have now not tasted defeat in their last nine matches in all competitions (W4 D5), matching the longest ever unbeaten run in their history (9 games between September 2020 and March 2021).

It remains to be seen who awaits Slovenia in the next round, but they can take pride with their sensational achievement on the international stage. 

England have never boasted stronger competition for places than at the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament, according to Three Lions winger Anthony Gordon.

The Newcastle United forward will feature at his first major tournament with Gareth Southgate's senior side, who start their campaign against Serbia on Sunday.

Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Jarrod Bowen and Eberechi Eze are all other wide options as Southgate prepares to choose between a wealth of attacking riches on the wings.

Gordon believes England have rarely enjoyed such a depth of talent, heading into the tournament in Germany where they are seen as favourites alongside France.

"A few people have said it where the squad has never been so competitive in terms of everyone is in form and everyone has come here in a really good place," he said.

"There is definitely competition for places. Everyone is going to be at their best to try and play."

Manchester City defender John Stones offered cause for concern after an injury during Friday's surprise 1-0 defeat against Iceland, though was involved in training ahead of England's opener in Gelsenkirchen.

Luke Shaw also featured in the pre-tournament session but the Manchester United full-back will be managed closely as his recovery from a hamstring issue continues.

"I was a bit worried when [Stones] went down [against Iceland] because he's such a big player for us but he's fine," Gordon added. "He's got an elite mentality, so I've had faith in him.

"[Shaw] is back in training now and doing really well. I did a bit of my rehab with him and he was way far ahead of schedule. He was doing great, which is good."

Southgate hit the headlines on Monday after suggesting the European Championship marked his "last chance" as England manager.

Yet Gordon hopes the England boss continues his tenure past when his current contract is due to end in December.

"From a selfish point I would want him to stay," he continued. "I love working with him and his staff.

"From my youth journey with England, the way they have transitioned the whole set-up from youth to senior level has been absolutely amazing and I don't think they get the credit he deserves."

Gareth Southgate has pledged England will learn from Friday's shock 1-0 defeat to Iceland ahead of their Euro 2024 campaign starting next week.

England's Wembley Stadium send-off fell flat as they produced a disjointed performance against a stubborn Iceland side, with Jon Thorsteinsson's low strike the difference. 

Despite Southgate picking a strong starting lineup featuring Harry Kane, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, the Three Lions managed just one shot on target and only recorded 0.89 expected goals (xG) from 13 total attempts.

It is the first time they have lost their final game prior to an international tournament since Euro 1968, having won 15 and drawn five of their previous 20 such matches. 

While Southgate was in no mood to excuse England's below-par performance, he is sure their issues will be solved before they face Serbia in Gelsenkirchen in nine days' time.

"It was obviously a disjointed and disappointing performance, and we didn't show enough character but I think it's good for us before an international tournament," Southgate told Channel 4.

"I think we've got to be better without the ball. I think there were a lot of reasons for that and across the two games we probably haven't had our full side out. 

"We've been able to look at people, we've been able to learn about the balance of the team.

"I've been involved in a lot of last matches leading into a tournament. 

"Inevitably players have one eye on what's coming in terms of early challenges. There are no excuses on the result but there are a lot of things we can put right quickly."

England have now conceded first in each of their last three games at Wembley – against Brazil and Belgium in March and versus Iceland on Friday.

It is the first time they have conceded first in three successive matches at the national stadium since doing so between October 1953 and November 1954 – a run which included an infamous 6-3 defeat to Hungary in November 1953.

Harry Kane was delighted for Cole Palmer after the Chelsea forward marked his full England debut with a first goal for the Three Lions.

Palmer, who was making his first international start at senior level, opened the scoring from the penalty spot as Gareth Southgate's side overcame Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0 at St James' Park.

Kane was also on target later on, coming off the bench to round off a commanding win with the third goal in England's penultimate warm-up game ahead of Euro 2024.

Palmer, who made his senior debut against Malta in November, continues to thrive following a superb 2023-24 with Chelsea, with his 33 goal involvements (22 goals, 11 assists) in the Premier League earning him the Young Player of the Season award.

Saluting the former Manchester City forward, Kane said: "He's had an unbelievable season. It's never easy moving clubs as well and what he [Palmer] has done for Chelsea is a credit to him and the team he was in.

"We're very happy to have him. I am delighted he got his goal because we are going to need all our players chipping in with important goals in the tournament in a couple of weeks. The more people feeling good, the better."

Kane also addressed his own fitness, with the Bayern Munich striker having missed the final few weeks of the Bundesliga season with a slight niggle.

Although, the England skipper believes the unscheduled break may benefit him as he looks to lead the Three Lions to European Championship in Germany.

"I'm feeling good, and a lot of the end of the season was precaution," he added. "There's a big summer coming up, so we didn't want to take any risks with it.

"In the end, it was a good chance to get a good break after a tough season, and we have been in camp now for nearly a week.

"I've had a good week training, some minutes here, and I'm sure I will get some minutes on Friday [against Iceland] and I will be ready to go for the group stage.

"It's almost worked in my favour missing the back end of the season. It gave me a chance to get maybe more rest than I was going to get."

Gareth Southgate admitted he may have future selection headaches after England's 3-0 friendly win over Bosnia-Herzegovina at St. James' Park on Monday.

Cole Palmer netted on his first England start from the penalty spot before Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane made sure of the victory late on.

With key players out injured, Southgate used the opportunity to give some of the less experienced squad members some valuable minutes ahead of Euro 2024.

The England manager still has to narrow his 33-man preliminary squad down to 26, with the announcement due later this week.

Southgate confessed the first-half performance was not what he wanted, but overall, he was pleased with how his side responded after half-time.

"We had a lot of fresh players to bring in," Southgate told Channel 4. "Once you break that resistance then it starts to come. A lot of players didn't have many caps that started so it was going to be a sticky start.

"I thought [Palmer and Eberechi Eze] both played with the freedom. Ebere has got lovely movement to go past players, he's got power. A couple of times, Cole was being too precise and if he got his shots away earlier maybe he could've got a couple.

"The great thing is we've got through the last few days with no new problems. That's really important. We needed to get through these first matches to get a clearer picture and the guys rehabbing have done well.

"A little bit [of a selection headache] but that's a good thing. I would rather have good performances than poor performances.

"Winning and clean sheets are good habits to have."                    

England's final friendly before their Euro 2024 campaign begins is against Iceland on June 7, with Southgate due to announce his 26-man squad following that game.

Cole Palmer scores on his first England start to set the hosts on their way to a 3-0 friendly victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina at St. James' Park on Monday.

The Chelsea midfielder kept his cool from the spot to put England ahead in the 60th minute after a frustrating goalless first half.

Trent Alexander-Arnold made sure of the victory in the 85th minute, striking a superb low volley around Nikola Vasilj and into the bottom corner.

Harry Kane, off the bench, added a third from close range, pouncing on the loose ball after Ezri Konsa had inadvertently blocked Jarrod Bowen's shot on the line. 

Data Debrief: England find shooting boots in second half

Palmer is just the fifth player to see his first-ever England goal come from the penalty spot, after Tommy Lawton (1938), Alf Ramsey (1951), Allan Clarke (1970) and Ivan Toney (2024).

Not only did Alexander-Arnold score his third goal for the Three Lions in this game, but he also created five chances, at least three more than any other player on the pitch.

Kane may not have started, but his late strike is the 12th goal he has scored in his last 12 matches for the national side across all competitions. 

Nicolas Jackson appeared to question Chelsea's decision to part company with Mauricio Pochettino as Cole Palmer paid thanks to the Argentine.

On Tuesday, Chelsea announced Pochettino had left the club by mutual consent after just one season in charge, which ended in a sixth-place Premier League finish.

Several pundits expressed shock at the decision, after an upturn saw Chelsea recover from a poor start to the season to clinch European qualification.  

Only four teams – Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Newcastle United – had a better expected goals (xG) figure than Chelsea (75.3) in the Premier League in 2023-24, while only three – City, Liverpool and Arsenal – had more shots on target than the Blues (215).

From March 11 onwards, Chelsea's return of 27 points was only bettered by eventual champions Manchester City, who took 28 in that span.

A number of Chelsea players appeared to be surprised by Pochettino's exit when reacting on social media, most notably Jackson.

Alongside an image of himself alongside Pochettino, Jackson wrote on Instagram: "Love you coach. Wish we could stay together more.

"But may God continue to bless you and your family. Thanks for the advice and support, you're a true lion and a fighter, wish you all the best."

Leading goalscorer Palmer, meanwhile, paid a heartfelt tribute to Pochettino in an Instagram post of his own.

"Gaffer, thank you for everything you have done for me and making my dreams come true," the England international wrote. "All the best."

Former Blues captain John Terry, meanwhile, said he was "gutted" to see Pochettino depart.

Posting to his Instagram story, Terry added: "I just hope we don't sign or sell any players until we get a manager in."

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna and Brentford's Thomas Frank have been touted as possible successors, with co-owner Todd Boehly reportedly looking to hire a progressive young coach to work within Chelsea's existing structure.