Heather Knight believes she still has a “lot to offer” as England captain after nearly eight years in the post.

Knight succeeded Charlotte Edwards, who had a decade-long stint in the position, in June 2016 and her tenure has coincided with some ground-breaking moments for women’s cricket, both domestically and worldwide.

England head coach Jon Lewis recently praised Knight’s longevity and commitment as “second to none” after she withdrew from the Women’s Premier League to play a full part in the tour of New Zealand.

While great rival Meg Lanning stepped down as Australia captain and retired from international cricket late last year, Knight insisted she still gets a kick out of leading England and has much more to give.

“It’s a lot of fun and I’m still enjoying doing it,” the 33-year-old told the PA news agency.

“As long as I’m moving things and myself forward and still enjoying it, it’s something I want to continue to do.

“When I think it’s eight years, it seems like a hell of a long time but it’s gone very fast, that’s for sure, and I still feel like I’ve got a lot to offer the team to keep moving things forward.

“I enjoy that responsibility of trying to change. I’ve had to adapt my leadership as the years have gone and I quite enjoy doing that.

“There’s always a big tournament around the corner these days, there’s one every year so there’s always something to work towards and try and have a chance of being successful in.”

Knight oversaw England’s seminal World Cup triumph in 2017, when they beat India in the Lord’s final, but global trophies have since been out of their reach, hoovered up by the better-resourced Australia juggernaut.

England won both white-ball series against their fierce rivals in the multi-format Ashes last year but Knight reckons Australia are still the side to beat ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

“Teams are starting to challenge them which is a really healthy place to be,” Knight said.

“But Australia are still a very good team and ultimately they’re still the target everyone is looking to knock down.”

England take on New Zealand in Dunedin in the first of five T20s in the early hours of Tuesday morning as they begin building towards the next global event, scheduled to be held in September and October.

They will be without Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Alice Capsey and Danni Wyatt for the first three T20s – a prearranged agreement which allowed the quartet to focus on their WPL commitments.

But that allows those on the fringes a chance to make their mark, with Tammy Beaumont set for her 100th T20 appearance, more than two years after her 99th cap. The 33-year-old was jettisoned ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games but she has elbowed her way back in following some sparkling knocks in 2023.

“The door’s not shut to anyone,” Knight added. “There is that opportunity for players coming in and it will be really interesting to see how they do.

“Tammy’s not been around the T20 stuff for a long time, she’s gone away and worked on her game a lot and done things a little bit differently. She massively deserves that opportunity to come back in and open the batting in T20 cricket.

“Everyone knows Tammy is a gritty cricketer, a bit of a fighter and loves a challenge so I’m super excited how she does with this opportunity she’s got.”

Steve Borthwick praised England’s fighting spirit after seeing his team denied a precious Guinness Six Nations win against France by a final-minute Thomas Ramos penalty.

England appeared to have snatched victory with the second of two fightbacks when Tommy Freeman crossed in the right corner only for a no-arms tackle by Ben Earl in the closing seconds to enable Ramos to seal a 33-31 victory.

It ended an enthralling evening in Lyon that saw Borthwick’s side back up their stunning triumph over Ireland in every respect apart from the final result.

Borthwick stated after England lost to Scotland at Murrayfield in round three that the Red Rose jersey was weighing heavily on his players, but he saw the pressure lift at Groupama Stadium.

“My overriding emotion is immense pride in the players and gratitude to our supporters,” Borthwick said.

“The players have been incredible – they played really well and I’m really disappointed for them.

“I’ve talked about the weight of the shirt in the past but with the kind of support we’re getting, the England shirt is starting to feel a bit lighter, it’s helping these players grow.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted but you look at the players and the fight and intensity they had.

“I don’t think these guys are ever beaten and we weren’t beaten in this game, we just ran out of time. We saw the way they went back at it to try to find another score.

“We’ve taken on two teams in the top four of the world and we’ve shown how we can compete with them.

“To be clear, we don’t just want to be competing, we want to win. We shown the team has step forward.”

The nature of France’s victory brought memories of last autumn’s Rugby World Cup flooding back for Jamie George, who recalled the similarity between Ramos’ penalty and Handre Pollard kicking South Africa to a last-gasp semi-final win from a similar position.

“That’s the way Test match rugby goes – we knew it’s going to be hostile and we knew France were coming out to give it a good crack. I thought it was a great Test match all in all,” England captain George said.

“Of course I’m gutted about the result. I feel like we deserved a lot of the game because of the way we attacked it game and went after it.

“There was a lot to be very pleased about and very proud of. Fair play to France for coming back and getting that penalty at the end and fair play to Ramos for knocking it over.

“There was a bit of deja vu from the Pollard penalty a few month ago. That’s always going to be tough to take but like Steve said there’s so much to be proud of over the last few weeks.

“We genuinely feel like this team is on and upward curve and we’re going somewhere.”

France finished second in the Six Nations and boss Fabien Galthie felt it helped make amends for their World Cup quarter-final exit.

“We are very happy, it was a tough game, it was a tough tournament. We paid for our mistakes, we learnt about our mistakes. We were resilient and solid,” Galthie said.

“This game looked like our quarter final against South Africa but at the end, the result is really different.

“And I think this game can help us to forget what happened during the World Cup.”

Gareth Southgate has warned that Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish face a battle from England’s up-and-coming talent to make his European Championship squad.

Among the favourites to lift the trophy in Germany, the Euro 2020 runners-up continue preparations with March friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.

This summer’s tournament sees squads go from 26 back to 23-strong selections, meaning some high-profile players are in danger of missing the cut in well-stocked areas.

Grealish faces a fight to feature while Rashford, who has gone to England’s last four tournaments, is the same having under-performed for Manchester United in a season when his Belfast escapades in January made headlines.

Southgate said: “Well, (Rashford) has a battle on his hands with (Anthony) Gordon, with (Cole) Palmer, with (Phil) Foden, so we’ve got big competition for places in that area of the field,” Southgate said.

“What happens while players are with their clubs is club matters because they know the full story, they know exactly what’s gone on. Obviously we observe everything, we don’t miss anything.

“I don’t say behaviours off the field are irrelevant because clearly they’re not. But the key thing is we are mainly focusing on the performances on the field.

“He’s got big competition and so has Jack.

“These guys are playing well – Gordon, (Jarrod) Bowen. They’re scoring regularly, they perform well for the team, they defend well, they work hard, they compete and we’ve got really good options in that area of the pitch.”

Asked if there is a chance Rashford might not make the Euros considering the competition facing him, Southgate said: “I can’t guarantee anybody.

“We have to have an environment where…we know in certain positions who our best players might be.

“Kalvin Phillips I think is still in that position but, at this minute, I can’t go with that, so I’m hoping he can hit that form.

“We know what Marcus can bring to us but equally everybody has got to perform well between now and the end of the season. That’s the environment we’re in.”

Phillips was left out of March’s double-header due to his struggles for form and minutes since joining West Ham on loan in January but Southgate believes he could turn it around in time for the Euros.

There appears less chance of fellow Euro 2020 regular Mason Mount being involved after an injury-impacted end to life at Chelsea was followed by a stop-start time with United.

“The first step for him is to get back playing regularly for Manchester United,” Southgate said as the midfielder prepares to return from a four month lay-off.

“He’s had the best part of 15 months (sidelined), really, because the end of Chelsea he didn’t play with the injury.

“So, he’s got to get back playing, he’s got to find the rhythm, find the fitness, the sharpness.

“But, again, we know what he’s capable of, so he’s somebody that we’ve kept contact with through that period.

“But at the moment you’d have to say he’s an outside bet. I think he would accept that.

“But it’s possible, he’s just got to, like they all have, play well for his club.”

One player playing regularly in a top European league that definitely will not be in England’s Euros squad is Mason Greenwood.

The 22-year-old was suspended by United in January 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.

Greenwood faced charges including attempted rape and assault but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February 2023 that the case had been discontinued.

The one-cap England forward has recommenced his career on loan at LaLiga outfit Getafe on loan and Jamaica are interested in him switching to their national set-up.

“Well, for me, I don’t think it’s something for pre-Euros,” Southgate said.

“I think allowing him to get his career going again abroad appears to have been a good move but I have to say I have not tracked it closely.

“I think at this moment in time that would be a big distraction for the team and let’s see where that leads next season.

“I would need to know more details about the whole thing before it was an option.”

England finished third in the Guinness Six Nations after a monster Thomas Ramos penalty in the final minute sent them spinning to a heartbreaking 33-31 defeat at Groupama Stadium.

Steve Borthwick’s men have trailed at half-time of every match of the Championship and once more they faced an uphill battle, this time in the form of 16-6 deficit that included a try of the tournament contender for scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec.

But they turned the contest on its head by amassing 21 unanswered points through two Ollie Lawrence tries and a Marcus Smith touch down as their attack ran amok through the France midfield.

France regrouped to cross through Leo Barre and Gael Fickou but England were not done yet as Tommy Freeman stormed over in the right corner with five minutes remaining.

They appeared to have secured their fourth win of the Six Nations having staged multiple fightbacks but when they infringed just outside their half with seconds left, Ramos kept his nerve to hit the target.

Manu Tuilagi came on for what is likely to be his final England appearance and he could not have asked for a more dramatic send-off.

Ireland may already have clinched the title by toppling Scotland but if evidence was needed that this match still mattered it came when Ramos kicked off before the countdown had even begun.

Once the false start had been dealt with, England were greeted with waves of attacks and a challenging opening was compounded when George Furbank departed with a calf injury and was replaced by Smith.

George Ford drew first blood through a penalty and his side were successfully slowing down play to stem the blue tide but there was no stopping the stunning end to end move began by Fickou and finished by Le Garrec.

England were in danger of being swept aside as they scrambled furiously to stop a second long-range strike but a sizeable lead opened up when Ramos kicked his second penalty.

Wing Damian Penaud beat a host of tackles yet made no metres in a crabbing run but it resulted in another opportunity for Ramos and he found the posts once more.

England showed their mettle, however, when Lawrence ran through Fickou on the cusp of half-time for a vitally important try that reduced the interval deficit to 16-10.

And there was better to come as a sweeping move given impetus by big runs from Sam Underhill and Ben Earl ended with a second try for Lawrence.

In a remarkable turn of events, England were now breaking through the home defence at will as Underhill and Earl combined a second time to create the opening before Smith arrived to score.

France now found their second wind and when their opponents eventually ran out of bodies in defence, they crossed through Barre to make it a one-point game heading into the final quarter.

With control restored, the 2023 World Cup hosts conjured a third try by Fickou that was born out of Theo Dan’s line-out overthrow.

But there was yet another twist as England staged a well-constructed attack that led to an overlap, providing a simple run in for Freeman.

Yet, with the Test seemingly won, up stepped Ramos to decide otherwise.

Ireland retained the Guinness Six Nations title following victory over Scotland in Dublin.

Here, the PA news agency looks at their route to another championship triumph.

France 17 Ireland 38 – February 2

Ireland emphatically dismissed any notion of a World Cup hangover by romping to a record win away to the pre-tournament favourites. Andy Farrell’s men took advantage of the absence of France talisman Antoine Dupont with a devastating display in Marseille, aided by Les Bleus losing lock Paul Willemse to a first-half red card. Tries from Jamison Gibson-Park and Tadhg Beirne helped subdue the home crowd before second-half scores from Calvin Nash, Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher completed a stunning success at Stade Velodrome. Damian Penaud and Paul Gabrillagues touched down to give France hope of a fightback. But the hosts could not contain Ireland’s physicality, spearheaded by impressive tournament debutant Joe McCarthy.

Ireland 36 Italy 0 – February 11

The Azzurri arrived in Dublin buoyed by an encouraging three-point defeat to England before becoming the first team to be nilled by Ireland in the championship since the English in the 1987 Five Nations. Jack Crowley’s maiden senior try set a much-changed team captained by Caelan Doris on course for a routine success. Hooker Sheehan registered two of five further tries to take his tournament tally to three, while Jack Conan, James Lowe and Nash were also on the scoresheet. Ireland’s display could certainly have been more ruthless but it was more than enough to dispatch outclassed opposition who offered little attacking threat.

Ireland 31 Wales 7 – February 24

Ireland’s ominous march towards the title continued as they equalled England’s championship record of 11 consecutive wins. Tries from Sheehan and Lowe rewarded the home team’s first-half dominance in Dublin. A youthful Wales side avoided embarrassment at the Aviva Stadium thanks to a positive second-half spell which brought a penalty try and a yellow card for Beirne. But a first Test try for stand-in Ireland full-back Ciaran Frawley broke their resolve before Beirne atoned for his earlier error by securing the bonus point at the death on an afternoon when flawless fly-half Crowley, who has filled the void left by the retired Johnny Sexton, kicked 11 points.

England 23 Ireland 22 – March 9

Ireland’s dream of successive Grand Slams was extinguished by a dramatic late twist at Twickenham. The visitors were second best in south-west London but were seconds away from remaining on course for another clean sweep when Marcus Smith kicked a decisive drop goal in the final act of a thrilling affair to reward England’s standout performance of the Steve Borthwick era. Ireland had been overwhelming favourites for victory and led thanks to two tries from Lowe and four Crowley penalties. However, Ollie Lawrence, George Furbank and Ben Earl crossed for England, who pulled off an upset in memorable fashion to take the title race to the final weekend.

Ireland 17 Scotland 13  – March 16

Farrell’s hosts were well below their free-flowing best in Dublin but avoided any major ‘Super Saturday’ drama to retain the championship title. Andrew Porter’s second-half try fatally broke the resistance of the stubborn Scots to ignite the St Patrick’s weekend celebrations and satisfy an expectant capacity crowd at the Aviva Stadium. Hooker Sheehan set Ireland on course for glory – and a 10th successive win over Scotland – with an opportunistic first-half score, while Crowley kicked seven points.

Harry Kane could be an injury concern for England after twisting an ankle during Bayern Munich’s 5-2 win over Darmstadt.

The former Tottenham striker broke the record for most goals scored in a debut Bundesliga season by netting his side’s second just before half-time on Saturday.

But the 30-year-old was substituted eight minutes from time, with England set to face Brazil and Belgium in friendlies over the next 10 days.

Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel told the club’s official website: “(Kane) twisted his ankle in the goal netting. He’s been applying ice to it since.

“We don’t have any news yet. We’ll have to wait and see and hope that it’s nothing major.”

On securing the German league’s scoring record, Kane said on X: “Proud to break a Bundesliga record but more importantly another good win.”

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk believes Joe Gomez’s England recall is fully deserved as the team’s popular utility man continues to impress.

It was not that long ago that speculation was linking the defender with a move away as he dropped down the pecking order at Anfield.

However, this season he has taken over the mantle of the veteran James Milner, who left for Brighton in the summer, in terms of being a reliable performer in a number of positions.

His 40 appearances have come across the back four, with a couple as an emergency holding midfielder, as injuries piled up in February and that versatility is something which appeals to Gareth Southgate, who included him in his squad for the first time since 2020 for next week’s friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.

“I’m very happy for him. To be honest, me and Ibou (Ibrahima Konate) have been saying for quite a while he definitely shouldn’t book any holidays in this international period as he will definitely be in it,” said Van Dijk.

“Still, it’s been such a long time for him. The work he has put in day in, day out – him and his family – not many people see but he has been outstanding the whole season and I’m delighted.

“Let him get his chance and then he will show he should stay in the squad.”

Gomez could be deployed in either full-back position or as Van Dijk’s partner for Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

It is a credit to him that his performances have not dropped despite being shifted around the pitch and the fact he is still only 26 means his best years are still ahead of him.

Asked what had changed, Van Dijk added: “Playing more helps, of course, but it’s the confidence he plays with as well in any position across the back line and a couple of games as a holding midfielder.

“He’s doing great, he’s a fantastic player.”

Manager Jurgen Klopp trailed Gomez’s selection after last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City, when he praised his performance and suggested it was a simple decision for Southgate.

“I don’t think my comments had a lot of influence. Wasn’t necessary really, Joey deserves it, absolutely,” said the Reds boss.

“The season he has played so far is absolutely exceptional. We would not be where we are without Joey. He’s played so many different positions. Really happy for him.

“I saw on his face he was very happy about it so it’s good news. Now, let’s play the (United) game, he can go there, and hopefully comes back healthy and we can play the rest of the season.”

England captain Jamie George has given his players a simple message ahead of their Guinness Six Nations clash with France – do not believe the hype.

England travel to Lyon on Saturday with an outside chance of snatching the title from Irish hands having stunned Andy Farrell’s favourites 23-22 in round four through a last-gasp Marcus Smith drop goal.

It was their finest performance since routing New Zealand in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup, but that seismic victory was followed by crushing final defeat to South Africa week later.

Seeing the potential parallels for the last two rounds of their Six Nations, George and head coach Steve Borthwick have taken steps to ensure England are not seduced by the acclaim that greeted their statement win against Ireland.

“We believed the hype in 2019, we kept living it for three or four days afterwards,” George said.

“You’re in a World Cup final week and I had every distraction under the sun. People wanting to come over, thousands of people asking you for tickets, people from school coming out the woodwork who I hadn’t spoken to for 10 years.

“It’s great but it can be really distracting and I probably learnt that the hard way. We definitely got it wrong in 2019.

“You could see it in our energy and our life. Often you can see it in your work off the ball.

“It’s a World Cup final so you think you’re going to be absolutely buzzing. I was buzzing mentally, it was almost a situation that I was trying to convince myself that I was buzzing rather than having anything in my legs to be able to go and do it.

“We didn’t reach the highs of the week before and what I learnt is that you need to be able to give yourself the space to get away from things and reflect. Do what you’ve got to do.

“Steve was very conscious about it. It was one of the first things I spoke to him about when we met up again last Sunday and he was already all over it.

“Not many teams come to France and win. We haven’t done that since 2016. We’re very aware of that.

“We achieved something special last weekend, everyone felt that, but being able to back it up is a huge motivation for me. Good teams react well to setbacks, great teams make sure they back it up.”

England’s 2003 World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson has revealed that ‘Le Crunch’ was his favourite rivalry and the fixture also gets George’s competitive juices flowing.

“I love it. I really respect how they see the game,” the Saracens hooker said.

“For me as a front-row forward going into this fixture I know exactly what is coming – it’s a physical battle, the confrontational element of it.

“There’s a line in the sand, it’s me versus you. What a great opportunity that is. I’ve loved playing French teams throughout my career, not just at international level but at club.

“There’s a consistency with how they judge the game and I’d agree with Martin in that respect – this is a game that is as big a rivalry as there is.”

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery said Ollie Watkins’ knee injury sustained in the 4-0 Europa Conference League last-16 win over 10-man Ajax was “not more than a cut”.

Watkins, named in England boss Gareth Southgate’s latest squad earlier on Thursday, headed Villa in front in the 25th minute, having already sustained the injury in a challenge with Ajax goalkeeper Diant Ramaj.

But the former Brentford striker limped off eight minutes later and had to watch his team-mates run riot in the second half with Leon Bailey, John Duran and Moussa Diaby goals killing off the tie after last week’s goalless draw in Amsterdam.

It sent Villa through to their first European quarter-final since 1998 and their mood will be heightened even more by the good news on Watkins’ injury.

“The injury is not more than a cut on the knee,” boss Unai Emery said. “Maybe he is available for Sunday, I think maybe we have to wait for tomorrow and Saturday, but it is a cut.”

Watkins’ goal put Villa on course for a win which became much easier in the second half when Ajax were reduced to 10 men.

Villa were 2-0 up by that point through Bailey’s strike, with Duran and Diaby booking their spot in the next round.

“We were very respectful of them. We were how we needed to face them here with our supporters at Villa Park, trying to perform better than the opposition with our quality on the pitch,” the Spaniard added.

“The second half was easier for us after the red card. We’re happy because we are motivated in this competition.”

Ajax defender Devyne Rensch was frank in his assessment of his side’s exit.

He said: “Yeah, it’s s**t. It’s painful we are used to winning for cups and competing and that is not going to happen.

“It’s a real let down, it’s a disappointment, it shouldn’t be happening, but we have to move on.

“Being Ajax we are always in the running for the top prizes and this season it is just not the case and it is very difficult to accept that.”

Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland has promised to “keep knocking on the door” after his hopes of an England comeback later this month were quashed.

Butland, who has nine caps to his name but was last called up in 2019, had been tipped for Gareth Southgate’s squad to face Brazil and Belgium.

Established number one Jordan Pickford will be supported by Aaron Ramsdale and Sam Johnstone for those games but Butland has not given up all hope of a late bid for this summer’s European Championship.

The 31-year-old, who acted as Pickford’s deputy at the 2018 World Cup, reacted to his omission after the Gers’ narrow Europa League defeat to Benfica.

Asked if he had been contacted about a possible call-up, Butland told TNT Sport: “No, no discussions. But if your name’s being chucked in it’s because you’re doing something right.

“When I found out I wasn’t in the squad, it was back to normal, continue trying to do what I do here. That’s the only reason I’ve been in those discussions in the first place, because I’ve been playing and playing well.

“Could I? Should I? It doesn’t really matter. I’ve worked hard enough, I’ve done enough. Whatever the decision will be, there’s three fantastic goalkeepers going. I’ll just keep knocking on the door and see what happens.”

Gareth Southgate is aware Ben White could face a backlash after he made himself unavailable for England duty but felt it was “impossible” to conceal the reason behind Thursday’s omission.

White has starred for Premier League leaders Arsenal this season and was set to be part of this month’s 25-man squad for the friendlies with Brazil and Belgium.

However, Arsenal sporting director Edu informed John McDermott, technical director at the Football Association, last week that White does not want to be currently considered for England squads, having not been called-up since he was sent home early from the 2022 World Cup.

White left Qatar for what the Football Association called “personal reasons” but reports later emerged of an alleged bust-up with England assistant Steve Holland.

Southgate denied any such fall-out on Thursday, although White’s absence from a squad ravaged by injuries has already sparked debate over the future international prospects of the versatile defender.

“John McDermott had a call from Edu last week to say that Ben didn’t want to be considered for England squads at this time. For me, that’s a great shame,” Southgate reflected.

“For me, England was the pinnacle. Did I enjoy every moment with England? No. Were there moments where you thought ‘here we go, into the lions’ den’ if you like, literally? Yes, but I always wanted to challenge myself and test myself.

“And the things I regret in my life are the things that I’ve not had a go at, not the things that I’ve failed at. For me, it was always the ultimate, but, I wasn’t at a club going for the league title, or in the last couple of rounds of the Champions League. I can’t speculate what’s behind it.

“We have to respect that. There’s clearly a reason, but I don’t know the full reason.

“As I’ve said, in these situations I’ve tried to protect players. Clearly that is impossible at this point because the timing of asking to come off the long-list, and the fact that I don’t have huge credibility if I didn’t pick him on form!

“I don’t think it would be right not to state the situation we’re in. We’ve explained to Arsenal we were going to do that and if you make a decision like that, you do have to stand by it.

“But like I say, I want to keep the door open. I don’t want there to be a backlash. I understand that we’re in a situation where that could happen, but I believe he’s announced he’s signing a new contract, so there’s no question he’s got the love of the Arsenal fans.

“For me, the shame is that he’s a player I like. I can see his ability is obvious. I would have liked to have picked him, but it’s not an option that’s open to me.

“I completely respect it. The door for me is completely open. Look, we have to say that’s unlikely now for the Euros because of the situation this month. But moving forward, I would hope that he feels differently about it.”

Southgate handed White his England debut against Austria in June 2021, then drafted him into the squad for that summer’s rearranged Euros as replacement for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold. The defender did not make an appearance in the run to the final, nor did he play a minute at the World Cup in Qatar.

The bombshell news that White does not want to add to his four England caps came hours after the announcement that he had signed a new and improved contract at the Emirates Stadium.

The 26-year-old agreed a new four-year deal, with the option for a further 12 months, the PA news agency understands, having featured in every Premier League game this term.

England manager Gareth Southgate is comfortable with fully focusing on making sure there is a Trafalgar Square party in July after European Championship success rather than worrying about his contract situation.

Southgate has made the conscious decision to put talks over his future on hold despite his current terms with the Football Association being set to expire in December.

Euro 2024 will be the fourth major tournament Southgate has taken charge of as England boss and he is determined to minimise any potential distractions.

“I have to deliver in the job I’m in, so there’s no point in me thinking any further ahead than that,” Southgate insisted.

“My focus is delivering the best possible European Championship for England. Since I came to St George’s, our target has been being in the final four of things, with the ultimate aim of winning.

“If you look at the trajectory of a team, we’re at that point where we’ve done a lot of the climb and the enjoyable bit and we’re at that last bit, really, of winning and getting over the line.

“We’ve shown the consistency in the world ranking for the last five years, so there’s consistency of performances. We have to translate that with the next step now.

“That’s the challenge I have to accept as well and I’m really comfortable with that.

“There’s no point in speculating about what might happen after the summer.

“I think we would have to sit and think about that at the end of the tournament. I’m happy to talk about it briefly now, but I’m not going to talk about for the whole summer, what’s next.

“We’ve consciously shelved any discussions internally about what might be next, because I think if we had sat and signed a new contract and done that before the tournament, everybody would have said: ‘Well, you did this with (Fabio) Capello and you should be proving yourself before you sign.’

“So, look, I’m completely relaxed about that and I have no idea where we’ll be in the middle of July, other than I hope it’s Trafalgar Square and let’s get the party on!”

On being the one to decide conversations around his contract being put on the back-burner, Southgate added: “Yes, because I think that has the potential to negatively affect the reaction to the team.

“The team need the clearest run they can possibly have at this tournament, so my job is to remove pressure from the team where possible.

“We’ve got to accept some pressure because we’re one of the favourites, but, equally, I don’t want to put anything additional onto the team.”

A key figure in England’s hopes of securing a maiden European Championship title is Jude Bellingham, who has enjoyed an excellent debut campaign at Real Madrid.

Bellingham has scored 20 times since a summer switch from Borussia Dortmund, but recently made headlines after he was sent off after he remonstrated with referee Jesus Gil Manzano at the end of a 2-2 draw at Valencia.

Southgate said: “I think with some of the great players that play with a mentality he has, I’m thinking (Steven) Gerrard, (Patrick) Vieira and (Roy) Keane, they compete. They don’t like losing, they love winning.

“They haul the team up by its boots at those moments and they are often on that line. That is often where he is, so the thing that gives him his greatest strength is something he has to make sure he is on the right side of.

“He has normally been able to stay controlled in those moments if he’s had a yellow card. This is the first time with the sending-off the other day that I can remember him stepping over that. He is a bright boy, he will learn from that.

“He is super intelligent and really receptive to learning and taking things in. He’s had an incredible season at historically the biggest club in the world. Everyone can argue with if that is still the case but we’re very happy to have him.

“We love that edge that he has but clearly he has to get that right.”

Gareth Southgate would love Kalvin Phillips to fight his way into England’s Euro 2024 squad but felt he had to drop the out-of-sorts midfielder this month as he was not confident about his performance levels.

The 28-year-old has established himself as a key figure in the national team set-up since winning the first of his 31 caps away to Denmark in September 2020.

Phillips was named England men’s player of the year for 2020-21 after shining in the run to the European Championship final, but pressure has mounted on his position since leaving Leeds for Manchester City in 2022.

The midfielder barely made an impact under Pep Guardiola and joined West Ham on loan in January, but a disastrous start there led to his omission from Southgate’s final squad before naming his Euros selection.

“There are times when you know your best players are your best players,” the England boss told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Other people might doubt it but you’re going with them because you know that you can get that level of performance from them.

“At the moment, I couldn’t be confident on the performances Kalvin’s had in the last few weeks that he could go onto the field and do the job we know that he’s capable of.

“So, there’s absolutely no reason why he can’t find that form. Nothing would give us more pleasure than having a Kalvin that’s back in the rhythm of playing and back to full confidence.

“We will be a better team, squad, whatever that might be, if that’s the case, so we’re hoping he can find that.

“Maybe a moment like this where you think, well, that’s perhaps the lowest it can get for him in terms of the last few months, now he can just go for it and be himself.”

Southgate last year warned that Phillips’ place was in jeopardy if he continued to be a peripheral figure at City but believes the “outstanding player” has the attributes to bounce back.

“I think he knows exactly what we think of him,” Southgate at the Wembley press conference. “I think we’ve shown that support.

“A good version of him is an important player for us and that’s why we’ve supported him as we have. We don’t have many players of that profile.

“Unfortunately, his form just hasn’t been good enough. I’ve spoken to him about that, he understands.”

Phillips was omitted from the 25-man squad for March’s Wembley double-header against Brazil and Belgium, which has seen Southgate have to juggle a swathe of injuries among other things.

But setbacks for some means opportunities for others, with Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, 21, and Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon, 23, receiving their first senior call-ups.

“He’s good with the ball, shows good composure, good mentality,” Southgate said of Branthwaite.

“He’s a left footer and we don’t have many left-footed defenders, so he’s in our merit and we’re really keen to work with him and find out a bit more about him.”

On Gordon, the England boss said: “Consistently good performances. He was very close in November, as we said at the time.

“He’s continued his form, he’s scoring, his work for the team is excellent. He competes, which is important, so I really like his attitude.”

Arsenal’s Ben White ruled himself out of a call-up and there was a return from the international wilderness for versatile Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, who won the last of his 11 England caps in 2020.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney is also back at first time of asking, having returned from an eight-month Football Association betting ban in January.

Southgate does not know whether there is enough room in the Euros squad for him and Ollie Watkins to back up Harry Kane this summer, but he wanted to work with the one-cap striker again.

“I think we feel that Ivan is one of the contenders in that role, so it’s important to bring him back in and for him to be able to work with us again,” Southgate said.

“He’s shown straight away, getting back into Brentford’s team the quality and the impact that he can have.”

Gareth Southgate has revealed in-form Arsenal defender Ben White does not want to be selected by England at the moment.

The 26-year-old has starred for the Premier League leaders this season but has not featured in the national team squad since the 2022 World Cup.

White returned early from Qatar for what the Football Association called “personal reasons” and reports later emerged of an alleged bust-up with England assistant Steve Holland.

Southgate denied any such fall-out on Thursday, when he had hoped to include the defender in his squad for March’s Euro 2024 warm-up friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.

“Look, it’s absolutely the question you should ask because clearly on form I can’t sit here and say he doesn’t deserve to be in,” the England boss said.

“We, (FA technical director) John McDermott, had a call from (Arsenal sporting director) Edu last week to say that Ben didn’t want to be considered for England squads at this time.

“For me, that’s a great shame. He’s a player I really like. He’s a player that we took to a Euros when he was at Brighton, a player that we took to the World Cup.

“I spoke to him post-Qatar because I was keen to pick him and there was clearly reticence on his side. I don’t know fully why that is, but I have to respect that.

“I want to leave the door open for him because he’s a good player and I think he’s a player who can make a difference for England.

“But he’s not available to us and so the only other thing I would say is there is no issue between us at all.

“And also I should say there’s never any issue with Steve Holland because that has sort of been mentioned in articles and I don’t like that.

“People can talk about me, and I have to accept that things get said that are false about me. For whatever reason in this role, you have to almost stomach that.

“But I’m not prepared for that to happen for a key member of my coaching team because that is not the reason Ben is unavailable for selection.”

Southgate handed White his England debut against Austria in June 2021, then drafted him into the squad for that summer’s rearranged Euros as replacement for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The defender did not make an appearance in the run to the final, nor did he play a minute at the World Cup in Qatar.

The bombshell news that White does not want to add to his four England caps came hours after the announcement that he had signed a new and improved contract at the Emirates Stadium.

The 26-year-old agreed a new four-year deal, with the option for a further 12 months, the PA news agency understands, having featured in every Premier League game this term.

White says it is “unbelievable” to have found his home at Arsenal but clearly does not feel as comfortable wearing an England shirt.

“I have to respect it,” Southgate said of the decision. “Look, he’s not the first player that at certain times hasn’t wanted to be available for selection.

“So, I’ve always tried to protect those players because I always want the door to be left open, even though on lots of those occasions I’m the one that gets it in the neck for not picking them and people don’t know the reasons.

“But sometimes as a leader, you have to take the flak for others and allow them time to come through.

“Sometimes we’ve had young players that haven’t felt comfortable coming away with England, when I was with the Under-21s and then as they get older, they get more comfortable with it. So there can be all sorts of reasons for that.

“As I said, I think we should respect that. I repeat: he’s clearly playing very well and has been for a long time but he’s not available.”

Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite hailed his maiden England call-up a dream come true.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with the Toffees, playing 31 times in all competitions after he spent last season on loan at PSV Eindhoven.

Branthwaite has benefited from injuries in the centre of England’s defence to be selected for the March friendlies with Brazil and Belgium, but promised to take in every moment when he links up with Gareth Southgate’s squad for the first time next week.

“It’s a dream come true,” Branthwaite told evertontv. “To represent your national team at any level is a massive achievement but for it to be the senior squad, I’m over the moon.

“I found out in training. The gaffer pulled me and told me I’ve been selected, so I was buzzing when I heard the news.

“You can only affect what you do on the pitch and give yourself the best possible opportunity to be selected and that’s by putting in good performances on the pitch.

“That’s what your only focus can be, really, and that’s been from when I came into the team to now – it’s just to keep delivering that high level and see where that takes me.

“I messaged my dad and he said he’s very proud of me. He said: ‘All of the family is proud’, so it’s a lovely feeling. I just can’t wait to join up with the team.

“They’re obviously really tough fixtures but I’m really happy to just be in the squad, take every moment in and see where it takes me.”

 

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Southgate insisted former England Under-21 international Branthwaite had been picked on merit.

He added: “He’s good with the ball, shows good composure, good mentality.

“He’s a left-footer and we don’t have many left-footed defenders. He’s in on merit and we’re keen to find out more about him.”

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