THE THREE LIONS
Gareth Southgate can call on the three best players in Europe, says Simon Barnes. All his men need now is to believe – and be lucky
EURO 2024
We love a Big Date. European historians bring up 1789 or 1914 or perhaps 1945. Those who follow cricket and the Ashes prefer 2005. In football it’s the Lionesses, in 2022. But for England’s senior men’s team, the only possible contender is 1966, the last time they won a major international trophy. The relentless disappointment that followed has cast a vast shadow over England’s preparations for tournaments ever since. The question “Can England win it?” has become one of those loaded questions like, “Do you believe in Father Christmas?”
But the European Championship begins on Friday and England start as clear favourites with the bookmakers. And why not? England have the three best players in Europe: every one of them would stroll into any squad at the Euros and be instantly accepted as the main man.
THE FIRST IS Harry Kane. Throughout his career he has made goal-scoring a matter of routine: he’s pleased when he scores, but never surprised. What’s more, he’s better than he was at the last tournament, in December 2022, when England reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar.
That’s because he left Spurs for Bayern Munich, a team with higher expectations. He was top scorer in the Bundesliga, with 36 goals: calm and accurate in the madness of the penalty area. He’s the best player in Germany.
Jude Bellingham is a West Midlands boy who has played most of his football abroad, which has given him an air of self-certainty (see our prof ile on page 14). Certainly he’s gone far beyond the parochial concerns of English football. He knows he can do it anywhere, and do it well. He moved from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid last summer and has surpassed all expectations, driving Europe’s top club with power, style and plenty of goals. He’s a midf ielder but in all competitions he’s scored 23 goals, mostly crucial ones, with 15 assists. He’s just been voted la Liga player of the season. He’s the best player in Spain.
And then there’s Phil Foden. You might have expected Manchester City to struggle when they lost Kevin De Bruyne to injury, but the manager, Pep Guardiola, merely moved Foden into the middle and got him to dictate the play. He’s now a routine scorer of important goals: 27 goals for City in all competitions, plus 12 assists.
He combines an eagerness for responsibility with knowing football is about teams, not individuals: he’s a classic Guardiola player. He’s the Football Writers’ Association men’s footballer of the year and the Premier League player of the season. He’s the best player in England.
So England manager Gareth Southgate has the best player in Germany, the best player in Spain and the best playe
