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England face Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday as the Three Lions attempt to win a major trophy for the first time in more than half a century.
Gareth Southgate’s side have endured a rollercoaster ride in Germany this summer, stumbling through the group phase despite an opening match victory over Serbia and going behind in each of their knockout round games so far. A dramatic late overhead kick by Jude Bellingham saved them from a dismal exit in the round of 16 before a perfect penalty shooutout display edged them past Switzerland. Their best performance came last time out versus the Netherlands where they were rewarded by an Ollie Watkins last-minute strike to secure a 2-1 win.
Ahead of the final versus Spain on Sunday evening the manager has been speaking about his feelings during the tournament. He came under fire from pundits and critics for England’s early performances with some fans launching beer cups at him following a dull draw with Slovenia.
Yet, Southgate understands those feelings insisting he is still an England fan at heart. He said: “I’m an England fan in the dug-out, I have more responsibility now, but… I’m desperate for England to win and I was the same as a player. I want to win so much on Sunday that it hurts, don’t get me wrong.”
Follow all the build-up to England v Spain in the Euro 2024 final below:
Can England beat Spain – and how? Ask our chief football writer your Euro 2024 questions ahead of the final
England will face Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday as the Three Lions aim to end their more than half-century-long wait for a major trophy.
Gareth Southgate’s squad has experienced a rollercoaster ride in Germany this summer, stumbling through the group stage with two lacklustre draws.
A dramatic overhead kick by Jude Bellingham in the final moments of the round of 16 saved them from a disappointing exit.
Since then, England has found their rhythm, with an improved performance that saw them edge past Switzerland on penalties, followed by another step up to defeat the Netherlands on Wednesday.
Sonia Twigg13 July 2024 09:31
Southgate stands firm on juggling England role and social issues
“If I’ve helped some kids, some adults, who feel they are living through criticism or whatever in the last few weeks, [by showing] there’s a way of trying to come through that and to show the perseverance, and things can change so quickly. For them it won’t be two football matches that make the difference. But hopefully they can find a way through whatever difficulties they might be having.
“I think those values are important. We live in what’s been an angry country. I would love that to be different as we move forward. Hopefully we can bring some temporary happiness. But we’re not going to change our country either. Maybe we can deliver some good examples.”
Sonia Twigg13 July 2024 09:15
Southgate stands firm on juggling England role and social issues
Southgate has been an advocate of taking the knee, criticised racism abroad while admitting there is a problem with it in England and talked about the benefits of diversity, leading to accusations he is “woke” and bringing people telling him he should stick to football.
But he said: “I don’t regret it because I think this is a position of responsibility. You have a chance to make a difference in things that are important. I have my values. I never wanted to impose my values on people. But I think there are some fundamental human values that, if you get the chance to model them, then you should.”
Sonia Twigg13 July 2024 09:00
Southgate stands firm on juggling England role and social issues
Gareth Southgate said he has no regrets about speaking out in defence of the “fundamental human values” in a way that has brought him abuse and unpopularity in some quarters.
The England manager reflected that “we live in an angry country” as he expressed his hope that winning Euro 2024 could bring more unity and happiness.
And the 53-year-old, who has shown a greater willingness to discuss societal issues than his predecessors, said he believes his job means he has a duty to address important subjects.
Sonia Twigg13 July 2024 08:48
England v Spain
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage and build up ahead of the Euro 2024 final on Sunday.
We will be bringing you all the latest updates from the England camp, and any team news and hints of selection from Gareth Southgate.
Sonia Twigg13 July 2024 08:46