We’re just five days away from England’s first group D match in the UEFA EURO 2020 against Croatia, and the final roster is now set. With Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold now out for the duration of the tournament, the squad is set, and the Manchester clubs lead the way, as both United and City each have four members in the team.
If Jadon Sancho transfers from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United, between now and the start of England’s first match in the tournament (as some believe he will), then you would have five Red Devils in the Three Lions team.
If you look at the last England Starting XI for a competitive game, a 4-0 thrashing of Iceland last November in the UEFA Nations League, you’ll see players from the Manchester clubs having a major impact all over the place. Phil Foden and Kyle Walker, from City, were in the first team, with the former bagging a brace in the win.
From United, Harry Maguire, one of the best central defenders on the planet right now, anchored the spine of the back line.
All three players are expected to major contributors in this tournament, likewise for two defenders, Luke Shaw and John Stones, who are coming off very strong club seasons.
United’s No. 1 Dean Henderson, and their scoring sensation Marcus Rashford, are also both in the 26-man team. For City, Raheem Sterling, one of the best wing players alive, will certainly put his stamp on this tournament, before all is said and done.
All in all, when you add in the six players from Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool combined, you end up with 14/26 on the England squad hailing from England’s proverbial big six. We’ve had to wait an extra year to get this tournament kicked off, and when we do it’s just going to make all the action that much more exciting!
England are considered to be among the tourney favorites, along with Germany, France and Belgium. Here below is the squad in full.
Full England National Team EURO 2020 Squad
Forwards (8): Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Man City)
Midfielders (5): Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds), Declan Rice (West Ham)
Defenders (10): Ben White (Brighton), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Reece James (Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Goalkeepers (3): Dean Henderson (Manchester United), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.