Euro 2024

JUDE BELLINGHAM angrily booted a water cooler after England suffered Euros final heartbreak again.It was disappointment for the Three Lions in Berlin as they fell short to Spain 2-1 – just three years after losing on penalties to Italy in the competition’s previous final.Jude Bellingham booted a water cooler in angerCredit: PABellingham has so often been the hero – but it was meant to be versus SpainCredit: PAThe England star got the assist for Cole Palmer’s goalCredit: GettyHe had to be consoled by Gareth SouthgateCredit: GettyAnd looked close to tears as he sat alone in the dugoutCredit: GettyBellingham has so often been the hero for Real Madrid and England in recent years – but there was no magical bicycle kick this time out.And after the chance to end England’s 58-year wait for glory slipped away, the 21-year-old’s frustrations boiled over.A dejected Bellingham trudged off the pitch and he let out his frustrations at a water cooler.He booted the container and its contents flew all over the dugout.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBellingham then sat on the subs bench alone as he took a moment alone to be with his thoughts.The midfielder’s upset was also visible straight after full-time as he collapsed to the ground and covered his face with his hands.He then had to be consoled by captain Harry Kane and boss Gareth Southgate. When collecting his runners-up medal, Bellingham did not look at the trophy covered in Spanish ribbons as he walked past.Most read in Euro 2024BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSPlayers then went into the stands to visit their families and Jude was seen receiving comforting words from his mum Denise.Despite the season ending in disappointment, Bellingham has enjoyed huge success as he won LaLiga and the Champions League in his first season with Real Madrid.Gareth Southgate drops quit hint on live TV minutes after England’s heartbreaking Euro 2024 final lossBellingham trudged past the trophy with sadness written across his faceCredit: GettyAnd he spoke to his family after the gameCredit: AFPEngland ratings: Palmer the super sub but captain Kane struggles yet again in Spain heartbreakCOLE PALMER came off the bench to be England’s star man – but his heroics were unable to stop heartbreak against Spain, writes Tom Barclay.Mikel Oyarzabal struck a late dagger through the hearts of the Three Lions to seal a 2-1 Spanish victory.And that ensured that 58 years of hurt will go on.Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated each England player in the crushing defeat:Jordan Pickford: 8Carefully controlled a blast of a backpass from John Stones on his line in the first half. Could do little to stop Williams’ opener but made two terrific stops to deny Yamal, only for Oyarzabal to poke home at the death.Kyle Walker: 6Had his hands full with Williams but managed the Spanish livewire pretty well but could not get near his powerful opener. John Stones: 8A colossus again as he played every single minute of this Euros, despite lack of Manchester City game-time. Superb block on early Williams shot, was often in the right place at the right time and at one point dribbled all the way up the pitch.Marc Guehi: 6Solid alongside Stones and overall it has been a brilliant first tournament for the Crystal Palace star. But Oyarzabal nicked in front of him for the winner.Bukayo Saka: 7Most consistent attacker for England across the tournament and had a good battle with pantomime villain Marc Cucurella here. It was his cross that Bellingham laid off for Palmer to work his magic.Declan Rice: 7Went past his boss Gareth Southgate’s cap haul by winning his 58th here and he is still only 25. Was in the thick of it in the midfield battle throughout. Kobbie Mainoo: 5Just 19 and starting a major final for England in the middle of midfield. Fewer bursts forward though than in recent games as his side struggled for possession and was subbed for Palmer as Southgate searched for a leveller. Luke Shaw: 7Looked so sharp for a player making his first start since Luton away on February 10, winning his battle against Lamine Yamal in the first half. But Yamal got the better of him after the break to tee up Williams’ opener.Phil Foden: 6Out of possession it was his job to man-mark Manchester City colleague Rodri, until the Spanish maestro went off injured at half-time. Had a half-chance just before the break but could not beat Unai Simon.Jude Bellingham: 7Shunted wide left when England did not have the ball – which was a lot of the time. Riskily flew into a few tackles, but it was his clever lay-off that teed up Palmer.Harry Kane: 4His lack of involvement was summed up by England fans calling for Ollie Watkins in the 57th minute. They got their wish on the hour.SUBS: Ollie Watkins: 6Semi-final hero was introduced far earlier here to get some legs in behind, though he did not have too much impact this time.Cole Palmer: 9What an impact after emerging with just twenty minutes to go. Yet another of Southgate’s subs paid off handsomely as Palmer curled a peach of an equaliser with 17 minutes remaining, sending most of the Olympiastadion potty.Ivan Toney: 6Thrown on right at the end but could not make an impact.Gareth Southgate: 7The game was a chess match for the first half and Southgate was never going to go early with his bold moves.His subs were excellent to be fair, with Palmer brilliantly getting his team back into it.Critics will say England did not play attacking enough but Spain are one hell of a side – and Southgate’s men pushed them all the way. More

COLE PALMER came off the bench to be England’s star man – but his heroics were unable to stop heartbreak against Spain.Mikel Oyarzabal struck a late dagger through the hearts of the Three Lions to seal a 2-1 Spanish victory. Cole Palmer came off the bench and looked like he had rescued EnglandCredit: APHarry Kane was subbed off as he struggled to make an impactCredit: AFPFans were quick to spot a tactical change from Gareth Southgate just moments into the clash – but they were fuming about Dani Carvajal’s trolling of Bukayo Saka.Supporters were raging more when they felt that Spain star Dani Olmo should have been sent off for ‘GBH attack’ on Declan Rice.England received a huge boost at the break as Spanish talisman Rodri was forced off, but they found themselves trailing within moments of the second half starting courtesy of Nico Williams.That led to Southgate turning to supersubs Ollie Watkins and Palmer – and they combined again after their exploits against Netherlands in the semi.READ MORE ON EURO 2024This time it was Watkins who teed it up for Palmer to guide it home from the edge of the area.But Spain had a supersub of their own as Oyarzabal won it with four minutes to spare.And that ensured that 58 years of hurt will go on.Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated each England player in the crushing defeat:Most read in Euro 2024CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSJordan Pickford: 8Carefully controlled a blast of a backpass from John Stones on his line in the first half. Could do little to stop Williams’ opener but made two terrific stops to deny Yamal, only for Oyarzabal to poke home at the death.From agony to ecstasy to agony for England fans as second Spain goal gives them late lead in Euro 2024Maybe Kane really is cursed as trophy drought goes on… he may never get a better chance with EnglandIT now seems as though he really is cursed. Along with the rest of us, writes Charlie Wyett.Tragically, unbelievably, Harry Kane’s agonising search for a trophy still continues and you know have to wonder whether he will ever actually manage it.Certainly for England, in any case.Kane has now suffered defeat in three major club finals and two finals of the European Championships.Last night, the Three Lions captain was so ineffective that he was replaced by Ollie Watkins just after the hour.Like much of this tournament, he really struggled to make the impact when England needed him, not that he had much service.He had one shot in the first half and that was Rodri, who subsequently injured himself and went off at the break.When Cole Palmer struck that brilliant equaliser, Kane was off on his feet from the bench, only for the national team to get another kick in the bo**ocks at the end.Kane was substituted in both the games against Switzerland and Holland which England went on to win but on this occasion, he could only witness a gut-wrenching twist just when it looked as though Gareth Southgate’s team had dug their way out of trouble.The Bayern Munich striker suffered the World Cup 2018 semi-final loss against Croatia, endured heartbreak against Italy in the Euro2020 final and then missed from the spot in the World Cup 2022 quarter-final against France.He really thought that this was his time, even though England did not play well in Germany.Kane will know that he will have more opportunities with England. But not many more.The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico seems a long way away and it will surely be under a new manager. Will England be better than they are now? Probably not.And we are all left to wonder how much better England would have been with a fit and firing Kane at his very best.Read all of Charlie Wyett’s Euro 2024 stories…Kyle Walker: 6Had his hands full with Williams but managed the Spanish livewire pretty well but could not get near his powerful opener. John Stones: 8A colossus again as he played every single minute of this Euros, despite lack of Manchester City game-time. Superb block on early Williams shot, was often in the right place at the right time and at one point dribbled all the way up the pitch.Marc Guehi: 6Solid alongside Stones and overall it has been a brilliant first tournament for the Crystal Palace star. But Oyarzabal nicked in front of him for the winner.Bukayo Saka: 7Most consistent attacker for England across the tournament and had a good battle with pantomime villain Marc Cucurella here. It was his cross that Bellingham laid off for Palmer to work his magic.Declan Rice struggled to contain his disappointment at the full time whistleCredit: GettyDeclan Rice: 7Went past his boss Gareth Southgate’s cap haul by winning his 58th here and he is still only 25. Was in the thick of it in the midfield battle throughout. Kobbie Mainoo: 5Just 19 and starting a major final for England in the middle of midfield. Fewer bursts forward though than in recent games as his side struggled for possession and was subbed for Palmer as Southgate searched for a leveller. Luke Shaw: 7Looked so sharp for a player making his first start since Luton away on February 10, winning his battle against Lamine Yamal in the first half. But Yamal got the better of him after the break to tee up Williams’ opener.Phil Foden: 6Out of possession it was his job to man-mark Manchester City colleague Rodri, until the Spanish maestro went off injured at half-time. Had a half-chance just before the break but could not beat Unai Simon.Jude Bellingham: 7Shunted wide left when England did not have the ball – which was a lot of the time. Riskily flew into a few tackles, but it was his clever lay-off that teed up Palmer.Harry Kane: 4His lack of involvement was summed up by England fans calling for Ollie Watkins in the 57th minute. They got their wish on the hour. This felt like our time… but keep Gareth’s culture and we can win it in 2026 instead, writes Jack WilshereIT will take a while for me and every England fan to get over this, writes Jack Wilshere.To come so close to winning that trophy, only to be beaten in a second Euros final in a row, is a huge disappointment.Especially when it really felt like this was our time.It seemed that everything was coming together for us to end the long wait for a major title.But Spain deserved it. They were the better team in the final and the best team of the tournament.We will all — supporters, players, coaches, the FA — have to move on and go again.Because English football is still in a good position.Gareth Southgate has taken us to two finals, a semi-final and a quarter-final in four tournaments. We have never produced a run like that before.The challenge now is to maintain this level of competitiveness and make England even better.Southgate and his staff have done a fantastic job in changing the whole environment and narrative around the national team.Whether Gareth carries on or not, the wider culture he has put in place must be preserved.This tournament was the biggest test of that culture the team had to go through.They overcame the problems and went all the way, only to fall at the final hurdle.But there is every reason to believe we can challenge at the World Cup in 2026 and beyond.We’ve got a really good group of players, many of them young, who can go on playing and performing for England for years.Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer — to name just five — have plenty more tournaments in them.This tournament will also be an inspiration for the next generations of players. Unfortunately there isn’t the trophy lift to take that to a completely different level.But England have delivered moments in Germany that will be replayed forever.The Bellingham overhead kick and Ollie Watkins’ semi-final winner will be recreated in playgrounds and cages up and down the country.What I would like to see now is England continuing to develop, to become a team that can consistently dominate opponents and can give a real identity to English football.We now have players who are comfortable on the ball and technically very good.The biggest disappointment of the tournament was that we didn’t see that as often as we would have liked. That leaves us with a ‘what if?’ feeling.England must not lose that old-school mentality of finding a way to win even when you’re not playing well — that never-say-die spirit which got us through this Euros more than once.But the next step is to allow other qualities to shine through, to give the players that our system is creating the platform to show  everything they can do.The job for me and for other coaches is to keep producing players that are comfortable on the ball and understand how to perform under pressure at a high level.English football is in a good place but we need to keep going. Then we will finally get over the line.Real all of SunSport columnist Jack Wilshere’s Euro 2024 columns…SUBS: Ollie Watkins: 6Semi-final hero was introduced far earlier here to get some legs in behind, though he did not have too much impact this time.Cole Palmer: 9What an impact after emerging with just twenty minutes to go. Yet another of Southgate’s subs paid off handsomely as Palmer curled a peach of an equaliser with 17 minutes remaining, sending most of the Olympiastadion potty.Ivan Toney: 6Thrown on right at the end but could not make an impact.Gareth Southgate: 7The game was a chess match for the first half and Southgate was never going to go early with his bold moves.READ MORE SUN STORIESHis subs were excellent to be fair, with Palmer brilliantly getting his team back into it.Critics will say England did not play attacking enough but Spain are one hell of a side – and Southgate’s men pushed them all the way.It was more final misery for Gareth SouthgateCredit: AP More

GARETH SOUTHGATE might have dropped a hint his time as England manager will be over. Southgate has led a brave pack of new Three Lions into successive European Championship finals.Gareth Southgate after defeat to SpainCredit: AlamyIt was a second consecutive Euros loss for England and SouthgateCredit: GettyBut both times, it ended in heartache with pressure sure to mount on his future in charge. Southgate unusually referred to England as “they” and refused to commit himself in the immediate aftermath of 2-1 defeat to Spain.He said: “I think England are in a really good position in terms of the experiences they’ve got now. The age of the squad. “Most of this squad are going to be around not only for the World Cup but the next Euros as well. READ MORE ENGLAND NEWS”There’s a lot to look forward to but this moment is not any consolation.” Southgate’s current contract is due to expire in December. The FA have wanted to extend it – but Southgate himself was waiting till after Euro 2024 in Germany.And he was pressed on his future just moments after letting another final slip within his grasp. Most read in Euro 2024Southgate’s potential successor Graham Potter – 11/10Eddie Howe – 2/1Mauricio Pochettino – 4/1Jurgen Klopp – 10/1Lee Carsley – 10/1Pep Guardiola – 14/1Ange Postecoglou – 16/1Michael Carrick – 20/1Steven Gerrard – 20/1Thomas Tuchel – 20/1*Odds from Ladbrokes CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSEngland ratings: Palmer the super sub but captain Kane struggles yet again in Spain heartbreakCOLE PALMER came off the bench to be England’s star man – but his heroics were unable to stop heartbreak against Spain, writes Tom Barclay.Mikel Oyarzabal struck a late dagger through the hearts of the Three Lions to seal a 2-1 Spanish victory.And that ensured that 58 years of hurt will go on.Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated each England player in the crushing defeat:Jordan Pickford: 8Carefully controlled a blast of a backpass from John Stones on his line in the first half. Could do little to stop Williams’ opener but made two terrific stops to deny Yamal, only for Oyarzabal to poke home at the death.Kyle Walker: 6Had his hands full with Williams but managed the Spanish livewire pretty well but could not get near his powerful opener. John Stones: 8A colossus again as he played every single minute of this Euros, despite lack of Manchester City game-time. Superb block on early Williams shot, was often in the right place at the right time and at one point dribbled all the way up the pitch.Marc Guehi: 6Solid alongside Stones and overall it has been a brilliant first tournament for the Crystal Palace star. But Oyarzabal nicked in front of him for the winner.Bukayo Saka: 7Most consistent attacker for England across the tournament and had a good battle with pantomime villain Marc Cucurella here. It was his cross that Bellingham laid off for Palmer to work his magic.Declan Rice: 7Went past his boss Gareth Southgate’s cap haul by winning his 58th here and he is still only 25. Was in the thick of it in the midfield battle throughout. Kobbie Mainoo: 5Just 19 and starting a major final for England in the middle of midfield. Fewer bursts forward though than in recent games as his side struggled for possession and was subbed for Palmer as Southgate searched for a leveller. Luke Shaw: 7Looked so sharp for a player making his first start since Luton away on February 10, winning his battle against Lamine Yamal in the first half. But Yamal got the better of him after the break to tee up Williams’ opener.Phil Foden: 6Out of possession it was his job to man-mark Manchester City colleague Rodri, until the Spanish maestro went off injured at half-time. Had a half-chance just before the break but could not beat Unai Simon.Jude Bellingham: 7Shunted wide left when England did not have the ball – which was a lot of the time. Riskily flew into a few tackles, but it was his clever lay-off that teed up Palmer.Harry Kane: 4His lack of involvement was summed up by England fans calling for Ollie Watkins in the 57th minute. They got their wish on the hour.SUBS: Ollie Watkins: 6Semi-final hero was introduced far earlier here to get some legs in behind, though he did not have too much impact this time.Cole Palmer: 9What an impact after emerging with just twenty minutes to go. Yet another of Southgate’s subs paid off handsomely as Palmer curled a peach of an equaliser with 17 minutes remaining, sending most of the Olympiastadion potty.Ivan Toney: 6Thrown on right at the end but could not make an impact.Gareth Southgate: 7The game was a chess match for the first half and Southgate was never going to go early with his bold moves.His subs were excellent to be fair, with Palmer brilliantly getting his team back into it.Critics will say England did not play attacking enough but Spain are one hell of a side – and Southgate’s men pushed them all the way.But Southgate said: “I don’t think now is a good time to make a decision like that. I need to talk to the right people. It’s not for now.”The former England defender took charge on a temporary basis in 2016 after Sam Allardyce infamously resigned following just one game. Heartache for England as Spain clinch Euro 2024 with late winnerThis felt like our time… but keep Gareth’s culture and we can win it in 2026 instead, writes Jack WilshereIT will take a while for me and every England fan to get over this, writes Jack Wilshere.To come so close to winning that trophy, only to be beaten in a second Euros final in a row, is a huge disappointment.Especially when it really felt like this was our time.It seemed that everything was coming together for us to end the long wait for a major title.But Spain deserved it. They were the better team in the final and the best team of the tournament.We will all — supporters, players, coaches, the FA — have to move on and go again.Because English football is still in a good position.Gareth Southgate has taken us to two finals, a semi-final and a quarter-final in four tournaments. We have never produced a run like that before.The challenge now is to maintain this level of competitiveness and make England even better.Southgate and his staff have done a fantastic job in changing the whole environment and narrative around the national team.Whether Gareth carries on or not, the wider culture he has put in place must be preserved.This tournament was the biggest test of that culture the team had to go through.They overcame the problems and went all the way, only to fall at the final hurdle.But there is every reason to believe we can challenge at the World Cup in 2026 and beyond.We’ve got a really good group of players, many of them young, who can go on playing and performing for England for years.Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer — to name just five — have plenty more tournaments in them.This tournament will also be an inspiration for the next generations of players. Unfortunately there isn’t the trophy lift to take that to a completely different level.But England have delivered moments in Germany that will be replayed forever.The Bellingham overhead kick and Ollie Watkins’ semi-final winner will be recreated in playgrounds and cages up and down the country.What I would like to see now is England continuing to develop, to become a team that can consistently dominate opponents and can give a real identity to English football.We now have players who are comfortable on the ball and technically very good.The biggest disappointment of the tournament was that we didn’t see that as often as we would have liked. That leaves us with a ‘what if?’ feeling.England must not lose that old-school mentality of finding a way to win even when you’re not playing well — that never-say-die spirit which got us through this Euros more than once.But the next step is to allow other qualities to shine through, to give the players that our system is creating the platform to show  everything they can do.The job for me and for other coaches is to keep producing players that are comfortable on the ball and understand how to perform under pressure at a high level.English football is in a good place but we need to keep going. Then we will finally get over the line.Real all of SunSport columnist Jack Wilshere’s Euro 2024 columns…Southgate had come from the Under-21s and led England to the semi-final in the 2018 World Cup.Three years later and he went one better in the delayed Euros by securing England’s first final since 1966. It ended in heartbreak on penalties against Italy and a quarter-final finish followed the year later in the winter World Cup. After another final loss, this time inside the 90 minutes, Southgate’s future as England boss has never been more uncertain. Graham Potter – who has not returned to management since being sacked by Chelsea in 2022 – is the bookies favourite to succeed Southgate. Potter is followed by Newcastle’s Eddie Howe with Mauricio Pochettino behind him.In his post-match press conference, Southgate went on to add: “I understand the questions about my future, but I need to have the conversations with the important people behind the scenes first and can’t talk about it in public first.”Maybe Kane really is cursed as trophy drought goes on… he may never get a better chance with EnglandIT now seems as though he really is cursed. Along with the rest of us, writes Charlie Wyett.Tragically, unbelievably, Harry Kane’s agonising search for a trophy still continues and you know have to wonder whether he will ever actually manage it.Certainly for England, in any case.Kane has now suffered defeat in three major club finals and two finals of the European Championships.Last night, the Three Lions captain was so ineffective that he was replaced by Ollie Watkins just after the hour.Like much of this tournament, he really struggled to make the impact when England needed him, not that he had much service.He had one shot in the first half and that was Rodri, who subsequently injured himself and went off at the break.When Cole Palmer struck that brilliant equaliser, Kane was off on his feet from the bench, only for the national team to get another kick in the bo**ocks at the end.Kane was substituted in both the games against Switzerland and Holland which England went on to win but on this occasion, he could only witness a gut-wrenching twist just when it looked as though Gareth Southgate’s team had dug their way out of trouble.The Bayern Munich striker suffered the World Cup 2018 semi-final loss against Croatia, endured heartbreak against Italy in the Euro2020 final and then missed from the spot in the World Cup 2022 quarter-final against France.He really thought that this was his time, even though England did not play well in Germany.Kane will know that he will have more opportunities with England. But not many more.The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico seems a long way away and it will surely be under a new manager. Will England be better than they are now? Probably not.And we are all left to wonder how much better England would have been with a fit and firing Kane at his very best.Read the full verdict on the curse of Harry Kane…Or check out all of Charlie Wyett’s Euro 2024 stories… More