- Best Euros
- Semi-finals 1996, Quarter finals 2004 & 2012
- 2016 Euros
- Round of 16
England's Euro Schedule
| Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13th June 2pm | England v Croatia | Wembley |
| 18th June 8pm | England v Scotland | Wembley |
| 22nd June 8pm | Czech Republic v England | Wembley |
Road to the Euros
England’s qualifying campaign was far from perfect, but it was very comfortable nonetheless. Things started with two ruthless hammerings of Czech Republic and then Montenegro, before another rout against Bulgaria came before a rather whacky affair at St Mary’s. A plucky Kosovo side took the lead in just seconds but found themselves 5-1 down at half-time before pulling two more goals back after the break. A further 17 goals without reply would follow in October and November 2019, but in the middle was England’s only slip up, a somewhat unexpected 2-1 loss in the Czech Republic. Overall the Lions won seven of eight games, scored 37 goals and conceded just five.
Current form
Qualification has never been the problem for England and more than twelve months removed from achieving qualification, there are further signs that England are improving. Warm up wins with a much shuffled and largely second string squad shows the strength in depth at Southgate's disposal. There never looked to be any chance of a slip-up in meetings with potentially tricky opponents such as Iceland (4-0), Albania (2-0), Poland (2-1), Austria (1-0) or Romania (1-0). They even beat Belgium 2-1 in their most recent Nations League campaign, but a 1-0 loss to Denmark and a 2-0 loss to Belgium in the return fixture reminds us England have the quality, but sometimes lack the consistency that is required to win things at this level.
Squad assessment
Recent results in the warm-up games show that England have no shortage of depth, particularly in defensive areas with plenty of full-backs, the versatile Ben White and Jordan Henderson, with Rice and Phillips as deeper lying midfield options. Where there is no suitable replacement, however, is up top. Keeping Harry Kane on the pitch is crucial to any chances England may have, although Calvert-Lewin’s Premier League form offers promise. The debate rages on about who should be England’s goalkeeper, but it seems the error prone Jordan Pickford will get the nod again.
Key players
Harry Kane is the most important player England have by a considerable distance. His movement, intelligence, passing and first touch are all world class and he’s a natural born finisher. More recently, he’s become an important part of linking up the play and he assisted 14 times for Spurs during the recently concluded season. After Kane, Declan Rice replicating his form for West Ham could make him a key player, but equally Kalvin Phillips has to be at his best alongside him when Southgate deploys them together, otherwise England become fragile and the game plan goes out the window. Finally, Harry Maguire is a useful defensive presence and and proven leader, so England will be hoping he can prove his fitness to play a part.
Click below to read more about each of England's Group D opponents: