England booed off on haunting Euro 2024 send-off as Southgate dealt injury worry

The worst humiliation came after the final whistle.

Gareth Southgate led his England players around a near empty Wembley Stadium on some sort of lap of appreciation with the big screen showing: “Next Stop Euro 2024!” England were booed off at half-time, full-time and the fans voted with their feet long before the final whistle as they showed exactly what they thought of a lame defeat.

There is just over a week to go until England’s group opener with Serbia and, on this evidence, Southgate’s plans look in tatters. England were a complete shambles defensively, there are question marks in midfield and, in truth, there are doubts all over the pitch.

It was the worst possible send-off before the Euros and brought back horrible memories of Euro 2016 when England suffered arguably the worst night in their football history. Back then, England lost to Iceland and hit rock bottom. They have come a long way under Southgate in the eight years since but this felt like they had gone back to square one.

Warm-up friendlies are supposed to bolster confidence – not ruin it. The hope is to come through unscathed but England could not even manage that. John Stones – by far and away England’s most experienced centre-half – went off at half-time after a heavy collision in the first minute.

Aaron Ramsdale, given a rare start, was beaten by Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson’s long-range effort on Iceland’s winner and the Arsenal keeper’s rustiness and lack of game time was there for all to see. Marc Guehi was the one defender who did himself justice while Cole Palmer also played well but it was hard to think of too many other positives.

But you know something is seriously wrong when even Harry Kane missed a first-half sitter. Even a raft of second-half substitutions could not turn the game around. It was a big call by Southgate to axe senior and well-liked players like Harry Maguire and Jack Grealish and now you wonder whether they will rue not having more leaders.

England still have Jude Bellingham to come back into the squad after his Champions League heroics with Real Madrid. But he’s a midfielder rather than a miracle worker. Maybe we should have feared the worst when Thorsteinsson fell heavily on Stones and the England centre-half stayed down, needed attention and took a while to get back up.

Iceland were ahead after 12 minutes when Thorsteinsson raced forward, Stones backed off and gave the Iceland No.9 way too much space to shoot but Ramsdale still should have stopped it. Ramsdale shook his head in frustration and did not need telling that he should have done better which was also the case for Stones.

Rather like that night in Nice eight years ago, England looked shell-shocked and Iceland were rubbing salt in the wounds. What a nightmare. Palmer was behind everything good for England. Declan Rice harried the Iceland keeper and then Palmer saw his goal-bound shot blocked by Iceland defender Daniel Leo Gretarsson.

Soon after, Palmer’s inch-perfect cross found Kane unmarked at the back post but the England captain uncharacteristically shinned it over the bar. Ezri Konsa replaced Stones at half-time while Phil Foden dragged a big chance wide as once again he struggled to replicate his club form in an England shirt.

As England threw bodies forward and Southgate made a long list of substitutions, they left holes at the back and Thorsteinsson would have scored again had Hákon Arnar Haraldsson’s pass been better. Iceland defender Sverrir Ingason also saw a header saved.

What a wake-up call for England. They must have thought the bad old days of Iceland were a thing off the past. But sadly not.

Palmer was behind everything good for England. Declan Rice harried the Iceland keeper and then Palmer saw his goal-bound shot blocked by Iceland defender Daniel Leo Gretarsson. Soon after, Palmer’s inch perfect cross found Kane unmarked at the back post but the England captain uncharacteristically shinned it over the bar.

Ezri Konsa replaced Stones at half time while Phil Foden dragged a big chance wide as once again he struggled to replicate his club form in an England shirt. As England threw bodies forward and Southgate made a long list of substitutions, they left holes at the back and Thorsteinsson would have scored again had Hákon Arnar Haraldsson’s pass been better. Iceland defender Sverrir Ingason also saw a header saved.

What a wake-up call for England. They must have thought the bad old days of Iceland were a thing off the past. But sadly not.

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