Euro 2024: England Squad Travels to Germany Ahead of Tournament
Gareth Southgate and his England squad embarked on their journey to Germany for Euro 2024 after a final training session at St. George’s Park. The full squad was present for the session before their departure.
Before leaving, the England squad had the honor of a royal visit from The Prince of Wales, who met with the players, coaching staff, and support team to wish them luck and present them with their squad numbers for the upcoming tournament.
Among the players who made the trip to Germany was Tom Heaton from Manchester United, who received a last-minute call-up from Southgate to join the squad as a training goalkeeper. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to be part of the team and contribute his experience to the younger players.
For 12 members of the squad, Euro 2024 will be their first major tournament with England. On the other hand, Kyle Walker, John Stones, and captain Harry Kane are set to participate in their fifth major tournament with the national team.
Some notable omissions from the final 26-man squad include Harry Maguire, James Maddison, and Jack Grealish. Maguire’s absence is attributed to a calf injury, while Maddison has struggled to regain form after returning from injury. Southgate decided to include younger players in the squad in place of more experienced ones like Grealish and Marcus Rashford.
The England squad is entering the tournament after a series of underwhelming performances, with just one win in their last five matches. After a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Iceland at Wembley, the team faced criticism from their own fans.
England will kick off their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia in Group C on Sunday.