GARETH SOUTHGATE has some tough decisions to make this weekend.
England will face Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday, with a huge prize up for grabs.
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If they beat Luis de la Fuente’s team, the Three Lions will secure their first major title in 58 years.
They came painfully close in 2021, but lost to Italy in the final.
Southgate will now look to go one step further by winning the trophy in Berlin.
But to do so he will have to choose his starting line-up carefully.
Many fans called for semi-final hero Ollie Watkins to beat captain Harry Kane after his last goal against the Netherlands.
They also want Luke Shaw back in the XI after returning from injury.
Southgate is yet to give any hints about his potential line-up, but SunSport has looked at three different ways he could approach the game.
If the England manager were to make a change, it would most likely be Shaw replacing Kieran Trippier.
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Inside the remarkable rise of humble Ollie Watkins from non-league to England hero at Euro 2024
NINE summers ago, Ollie Watkins went on a lads’ holiday after helping save Conference South side Weston-Super-Mare from relegation, writes Dan King.
Now he has just guided England to the Euro 2024 final with a sensational 90th-minute winner.
And he even helped Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League last season.
Watkins arrived on the Somerset coast as a teenage striker on loan from League Two Exeter in December 2014.
His 10 goals in 24 league games were a big factor in preventing Weston from dropping down to the sixth tier for the first time in their history – and in giving them something to celebrate on a post-season trip to Spain.
But it was also his work rate and attitude that earned him the respect of the dressing room and helped him take his first significant steps on the road to stardom.
Ryan Northmore, Weston manager at the time, said: “His goals saved the club from relegation. But he contributed much more than his goals, which is very important when you are fighting to save their lives.
“He wasn’t just sitting at the top of the field waiting for the ball to arrive. He rolled up his sleeves and got involved in every aspect of the game.”
Within days of joining, Watkins made an instant impact with the equalizer against Farnborough.
Teammate Tom Jordan said: “He always struck me as the kind of kid who had his eyes wide open to different aspects of the game.
“Sometimes you would get players on loan from a League club to a non-League club and they would look at you as if they were doing you a favour.
“His attitude was very different. He was thinking, ‘I’m going to learn from this experience.’”
It was during Watkins’ time at Weston that then Walsall boss Dean Smith spotted him.
Smith would later take the striker to Brentford and take him to Villa, where he has reached new heights under current manager Unai Emery.
But Watkins never forgot the role Weston played in his rise to the top.
One of his Villa shirts is on display there, he spoke to young players and happily told the local press how important and enjoyable his time at the club was.
And he even helped finance an end-of-season men’s trip to Spain due to late fees – although he was allowed to join the rest of the squad.
Read all about Ollie Watkins’ incredible rise in full…
Despite being a right-back, Trippier switched to the left at the start of the tournament.
He started at left-back before switching to left-back when Southgate changed formation against Switzerland.
The Newcastle star was initially placed there to cover Shaw as he recovered from injury.
But with the Manchester United defender now fully fit, Trippier could rise to the occasion.
In what would undoubtedly be the biggest shock, Southgate could also decide to drop captain Kane.
The striker looked tired at times throughout the tournament, likely due to a recent back injury.
But Southgate continued to show faith in him despite impressive substitute appearances from Watkins and Ivan Toney.
It would be unlikely, but the England manager may decide to bring Watkins into contention to start.
England x Spain record
England have faced Spain 27 times in total – here’s a look at each result…
- May 1929, Spain 4-3 England – International Friendly (L)
- December 1931, England 7-1 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- July 1950, Spain 1-0 England – World Cup (L)
- May 1955, Spain 1-1 England – International Friendly (D)
- November 1955, England 4-1 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- May 1960, Spain 3-0 England – International Friendly (I)
- October 1960, England 4-2 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- December 1965, Spain 0-2 England – International Friendly (W)
- May 1967, England 2-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- April 1968, England 1-0 Spain – European Championship (W)
- May 1968, Spain 1-2 England – European Championship (W)
- March 1980, Spain 0-2 England – International Friendly (W)
- June 1980, England 2-1 Spain – European Championship (W)
- March 1981, England 1-2 Spain – International Friendly (L)
- July 1982, Spain 0-0 England – World Cup (D)
- February 1987, Spain 2-4 England – International Friendly (W)
- September 1992, Spain 1-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- June 1996, England 0(4)-(2)0 Spain – European Championship (W)
- February 2001, England 3-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- November 2004, Spain 1-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- February 2007, England 0-1 Spain – International Friendly (L)
- February 2009, Spain 2-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- November 2011, England 1-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- November 2015, Spain 2-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- November 2016, England 2-2 Spain – International Friendly (D)
- September 2018, England 1-2 Spain – League of Nations (L)
- October 2018, Spain 2-3 England – League of Nations (W)
Overall, England won 14, drew three and lost 10 matches against Spain.
Alternatively – and this would be even more unlikely – he could decide to adjust his formation and play with two strikers.
If he does, Kobbie Mainoo could be benched despite his fantastic Player of the Match performance against the Netherlands.
In that situation, England could line up 3-4-1-2, with Jude Bellingham playing alongside Declan Rice in midfield and Phil Foden starring up front.
Finally – and the most likely scenario – Southgate could opt to simply keep everything the same.
Kane could remain England’s only number 9, with Trippier remaining on the left.
This would give players like Watkins and Shaw a chance to make an impact later in the game.
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You could say it wasn’t pretty, but England are in the final… and we’re peaking at the right time, says Jack Wilshere
AFTER a tough tournament, what an opportunity Gareth Southgate and his team will have to finish in the best way possible, writes Jack Wilshere.
We could have liked a team that played better football. But it’s a results business.
Germany, Italy, France, Portugal and of course the Netherlands would love to be where we are.
People will say we are lucky because we are on this side of the draw.
But we won the group. France did not do so and then ran to Spain.
You might say it wasn’t that pretty, but we’re there.
Gareth and his coaches will not have been happy with some of the performances.
But I liked the way Gareth and his team handled it.
There was no panic leaving the camp.
They all delivered the same message: ‘We know we can do better, but we’re still here.’
And on Sunday they will be in Berlin to play against Spain.
They will probably have to produce two halves of football as good as the first against the Netherlands to beat them.
We got better as the tournament went on and that’s how you win things.
You want to peak in the final.
If Gareth can lead England to the big trophy we’ve all been waiting for, it will be the perfect response to the criticism and a brilliant day for us all.
Read Jack Wilshere’s England v Netherlands verdict in full.
Or check out all of columnist SunSport Jack’s views on Euro 2024…
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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