5 Squad Players Who Could Be Vital For England at Euros 2024

Go into any pub in the country in the build-up to any England game and ask anyone who they think England’s key man will be this summer, and you’ll get a few answers. Bellingham, Kane, Saka, Foden, the occasional Pickford from those who reckon they understand international football more than you. All of those players are sure to have a huge role to play for the Three Lions but picture this nerve-wracking scenario for example: 6th July 2024. 7:45 pm. England are 2-1 down after 60 minutes in the quarter final of Euro 2024, against Italy (probably). Gareth Southgate OBE has just 30 minutes to save his job and England’s summer. Trying to remain calm, he looks over to the England bench for someone, anyone, who can provide that bit of magic to get us going again. In this article, I’ll explain why maybe this year, we can afford to panic that little bit less. Here are 5 options from the bench who have a very real chance of writing their name into English football history. 

Cole Palmer 

It should come as no surprise that the first name on this list is Cole Palmer, who, after being labelled surplus to requirements by Pep Guardiola, almost single-handedly kept a dysfunctional (to say the least) Chelsea side from being dragged into the battle for relegation. Palmer was able to rack up 22 goals and 11 assists in 34 games to end the season as the highest scorer in FPL (Fantasy Premier League) with 244 points. More importantly, a deeper look into his stats show where he could be very valuable for England, and will almost certainly be, to quote Jay Cartwright, the ‘first reserve’, should either Saka or Foden suffer injury. 

I won’t sit here and explain why a player who creates goals (0.89 per 90, if you were interested) could be useful for England. What I will say is that there are a few key stats that specifically demonstrate Palmer’s potential impact in any such heart-in-mouth scenario as described earlier. In a game where England are chasing a goal and need to get forward, Southgate will look for someone who is comfortable playing in the final third and has an eye for a pass. Palmer meets both criteria. He boasts 29.36 touches per 90 in the final third; maybe not that impressive until you remember this is in a Chelsea team which has rarely dominated games. Furthermore, he averages 6.77 progressive passes per 90, and is in the 99th percentile among players in his position across the top 5 leagues for successful through balls. What this means in practice is that against tired defensive legs, Palmer is more than capable of threading a pass through to any England attacker. And, if it should come to it (God forbid), Palmer would certainly be a must on the pitch for a penalty shootout, as he has a 100% record for Chelsea this season, scoring 9 of 9.  

Ebere Eze 

Ebere Eze is for me, the most exciting prospect for England this summer, and not just because I’m a QPR fan. Having left the Rs in 2020 for Crystal Palace, Eze has impressed this season alongside Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta as Oliver Glasner guided Palace to a 10th place finish in the Premier League. Eze was involved in 27 games, scoring 11 and assisting 4 from a combined xGA of 14.3. Perhaps most importantly from an England perspective, Eze falls in the 95th percentile among players in his position across the top 5 leagues for tackles won in the final third, as well as ball recoveries per 90. Having someone like him closing down tired defenders will be key for England when chasing a game. Furthermore, he averages 6 take-ons attempted per 90, demonstrating his confidence in taking on his man, while also being responsible for 4.82 shot-creating actions per 90. Eze has the ability to turn a game on its head for the Three Lions this summer, and I for one would not be surprised if he found himself in the spotlight after a match-winning performance. 

Jarrod Bowen 

Jarrod Bowen has had a very impressive year, not least because he’s shagging Dani Dyer. Bowen has scored 17 goals from 13.6 xG, and notched 10 assists from 6.4 xA in 41 matches across all competitions. This tells us that he can score from nothing, and doesn't need to be asked twice in front of goal. So clinical in fact, that he ranks in the 92nd percentile for goals per shot among similar players in the top five leagues. Bowen is also incredibly fast, and you only need to look at his winning goal in the Conference League final last year to see immediately where he could be crucial for England. As shown below, when Rice collects the loose ball from a Fiorentina goal kick in the dying moments with the game on a knife-edge at 1-1, Bowen starts his run early from around 5 yards ahead of the defence.

In the time it takes Rice to play a perfectly weighted through ball, around one second, Bowen is already in front of his man, directing his run in between the left centre-back and left-back.

Bowen is then able to finish well under pressure from outside the box, sealing the Conference League victory for West Ham.

I can see a similar situation occurring this summer when we're chasing a game, and just consider the talent in midfield who could be playing that through ball. Rice, Bellingham, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mainoo, Wharton. Wow.

Ollie Watkins 

If it wasn't for the Harry Kane-shaped obstacle, Ollie Watkins would surely be in with a chance of leading the line for England this year. 24 goals and 13 assists in 47 games across all competitions is an incredible record, one which also sees him top of the table for forwards in FPL, above the Norwegian robot that is Erling Haaland, who took home his second consecutive golden boot with 27 goals in this campaign. This is primarily due to his incredible ability to not just finish the majority of chances that he is offered, but also to rack up enough assists to position him in the 97th percentile for assists per 90 among players in his position. If England need a goal, Southgate shouldn't be afraid to take off an aging Kane and give Watkins a chance: Watkins is one of the best strikers in Europe for goal-creation, with 0.73 goal-creating actions per 90 placing him in the 98th percentile.

Watkins also offers England the opportunity to play with a more conventional 'target man' when compared to Harry Kane's tendency to drop deeper and play as more of a false nine, even dropping further behind Bellingham to collect the ball. Watkins' average shot distance this campaign was just 12.8 yards, whereas Kane's was 15.1. I am in no way suggesting that Kane is not crucial to this England setup, however, I'm sure we would all like to see some bold moves from Southgate this time around, and introducing Watkins in certain situations would be just that.

Anthony Gordon  

Last but not least, the £45m man from Merseyside could be a real asset to the Three Lions this year. In 35 games, Gordon notched 11 goals and 10 assists for Newcastle this year. With 0.81 goal-creating actions per 90, it is no surprise that Southgate chose Gordon over players such as James Maddison or Jack Grealish to fill out the 26-man squad. Perhaps crucially, Gordon averages 4.03 successful progressive carries per 90, showing his ability to get the ball forward, something England may require especially towards the later stages of the tournament. Gordon is also in the 99th percentile for penalties won, which would certainly be a huge help in those matches where England just can't create a chance from open play. Remember, it took an extra-time penalty against Denmark to send England to the final of Euro 2020.

Super Subs Galore?

If all goes well, any of these players will have the opportunity to impress in cameo performances this summer. However, from a more pessimistic (realistic?) standpoint, England may have a tough campaign ahead. Thankfully, in what is perhaps a rarity for an England tournament squad, there are a multitude of options for Southgate to choose from off the bench.