Euro 2024

DECLAN RICE has outrun EVERY single player at Euro 2024.The England ace tops the pile after putting in a shift and a half during all of his nation’s outings in Germany.Declan Rice has covered more distance than any other player at the EurosCredit: GettyHe has run almost 2km more than Granit Xhaka, who is second on the listCredit: GettyGareth Southgate’s men find themselves just two wins away from winning the tournament after setting up a semi-final against Holland on Wednesday.The Three Lions are riding high after beating Switzerland on penalties in the quarters.And England’s technicians have been taking all the praise since Saturday, with Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold on target in the shootout.However, Rice has often been the heartbeat of England’s success on the field.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd the stats prove that the Arsenal man is continuing to drive his side forward at Euro 2024.Rice tops a star-studded list of players after covering more distance than any other player in Germany.The former West Ham captain has run a staggering 63.9km (39.8miles) across England’s three group games, plus the last-16 and quarters.Amazingly, that’s almost 2km more than No2 on the list, Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka.Most read in Euro 2024EURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERSJoshua Kimmich of Germany is third with 61km.And fourth is Xhaka’s Swiss midfield partner Remo Freuler.Trent Alexander-Arnold puts England into Euro 2024 semi finals with brilliant final penalty in shootout vs SwitzerlandPhil Foden has made the top five after starting on the left for EnglandCredit: AlamyBut amazingly, fifth on the list is none other than Phil Foden.The silky playmaker is mostly known for his goals and dribbles at Manchester City.However, footballer of the year Foden has been doing plenty of running at the Euros after being placed on the left wing by Southgate.It’s seen the ace drift deep and inside to help create attacks.And Foden has run a brilliant 58.2km (36miles) during England’s five games so far.Elsewhere, Switzerland’s Michel Aebischer (57.5km), Germany’s Toni Kroos (57.2km) and France’s Jules Kounde (56.3km) come next on the list.READ MORE SUN STORIESNinth place goes to N’Golo Kante, who has been superb for France while covering 56km.And the final spot in the top ten goes to Portugal’s Bernardo Silva, who has travelled 55.6km. More

ENGLAND penalty hero Trent Alexander-Arnold says Virgil van Dijk and Holland would love it if Harry Kane was dropped.Captain Kane is struggling at Euro 2024 and faces calls to be benched for the semi-final blockbuster with the Netherlands in Dortmund.There have been calls to drop Harry Kane for the semi-finalCredit: GettyBut Trent Alexander-Arnold insists team-mate Virgil van Dijk would love that to happenCredit: ReutersHe has backed Kane to lead by example once againCredit: GettyBut Alexander-Arnold says Liverpool club-mate Van Dijk will be pleased if the Bayern Munich striker is axed.He said: “Anyone facing England would like to see Harry Kane not playing. We’re talking about England’s record scorer.“He’s scored two in this tournament, helped us win games and,  as our captain, leads by example and puts everything into games.“People will always have opinions but he is leading us into a semi-final.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL“He is part of the reason why the environment is such a good one in camp. And he is a reason why we’re heading into a semi.”Kane, 30, boasts 65 goals in 96 Three Lions games.But he looks off the pace and the suspicion remains he has not fully  recovered from a back issue that saw him miss the end of Bayern’s season.Kane was subbed in three of England’s five games — including during Saturday’s quarter-final with the Swiss.Most read in Euro 2024BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSHe went off in extra-time before the shootout victory, shortly after hurtling into Gareth Southgate’s dugout.Yet the ex-Spurs star hit 44 goals in 45 games in his maiden Bayern campaign.The Sun’s Charlie Wyett England review as ‘lucky’ Three Lions squeak by Switzerland in dramatic penalty shootoutAnd Alexander-Arnold, 25, added: “You just know he is a threat. Anything in and around the box, you must be on red alert. He is the best finisher that I’ve seen or played with.”Pundit Ian Wright claims it is time for Southgate to “make a decision” up front.On Stick to Football: The Overlap Special, ex-England and Arsenal striker Wright declared: “Kane’s not sharp, he’s not in the box — and now we know Ivan Toney can go to that level.“We’re going to need to make that decision.”Yet Southgate looks set to stick with Kane while Marc Guehi could replace Ezri Konsa after his ban, with fit-again Luke Shaw pushing to start on the left.Alexander-Arnold added that Kane was a big reason why the environment at the camp was so goodCredit: GettyKane has scored twice for England at Euro 2024Credit: GettyThe squad were seen on a run before their crunch semi-final against the NetherlandsCredit: GettyElsewhere, Luke Shaw may be handed a start if he is deemed fit enoughCredit: GettySouthgate changed his system… now he has to change the players if England are going to win Euros, writes Charlie WyettGARETH SOUTHGATE changed the system… but he now needs to start switching his players, writes Charlie Wyett.And that not only means for his starting XI for the semi-final in Dortmund on Wednesday, but also during the match itself.Not for the first time, Southgate nearly paid the price for his bloody-minded refusal to react with substitutions and you have to wonder if he is ever going to learn.Probably not.At least the England manager reverted to a three-man defence which served him well at the World Cup in 2018 and, on occasions, during Euro 2020.Kyle Walker, John Stones and Ezri Konsa generally did well at the back with Kieran Trippier and Bukayo Saka the wing-backs.But England still had a complete lack of balance as they had Trippier, a right-footer on the left, and Saka, a left-footer on the right.It really made no sense whatsoever. Southgate will have his reasons but it was still a case of putting a square peg into a round hole.Although Saka was England’s most dangerous player for long periods, not for the first time, playing Trippier on the left simply did not work.And this is why Luke Shaw, if fit, simply HAS to start the next game.England are through by the skin of their teeth and maybe their name is written on the trophy.Southgate is actually England’s second most successful manager behind Alf Ramsey although today, it still does not feel like it.In his eight years as manager his England team have won eight tournament knockout games, compared to six in half a century before him.This is the most sustained period of success in the history of the men’s England football team.Ultimately, though, Southgate will only be celebrated as a true success if England – despite being rubbish for most of this tournament – come home with the trophy.Read all of Charlie Wyett’s Euro 2024 articles. More

ENGLAND’S penalty success could be down a breathing coach who also moonlights as a Radio 1 DJ.The Three Lions put in a flawless performance from the spot in their quarter-final Euros win over Switzerland.England have a breathing workshop to thank for their penalties win over SwitzerlandCredit: GettyRadio 1 DJ Stuart Sandeman is a breathing expert who helped the Three Lions control their nervesCredit: Stuart SandemanHe worked with England in the run-up to their quarter-final winCredit: GettyStars like Cole Palmer could be seen gulping in air before their penaltyCredit: GettyCole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold did their country proud by slotting home all five of England’s penalties.While Jordan Pickford produced a fine effort to deny Switzerland’s first effort from Manuel Akanji.The Three Lions’ heroics mean they face Holland on Wednesday evening for a place in Sunday’s final against either Spain or France.And should England go all the way, Gareth Southgate is likely to buy a thank-you card for breathing specialist Stuart Sandeman. READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe 41-year-old, who also works as a DJ for BBC Radio 1, is a master breathing guru who styles himself as a ‘Breathwork Trainer’.He jetted out to England’s training base in Germany last week and engaged in a breathing workshop with the 26-man squad to help calm nerves and improve focus.Sandeman instructed players to breathe in for five seconds and out for the same amount of time “during high pressure moments.”He explained the technique helps to “let muscles, tissues, nerves and minds reset, so that when it’s time to switch back on, you’re able to perform at your best.”Most read in Euro 2024EURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERSSpeaking before England’s win over Switzerland, and after the last-16 victory against Slovakia, Sandeman said: “There’s no greater indication of the powerful link between breathing and performance than England including breathwork to aid the team’s recovery at Euro 2024 after Sunday’s win.“I’m humbled that they chose me to lead these sessions.”The Sun’s Charlie Wyett England review as ‘lucky’ Three Lions squeak by Switzerland in dramatic penalty shootoutSandeman ran through numerous exercises at England’s training base in GermanyCredit: GettyStars were instructed to breathe in for five seconds and release for the same amount of timeCredit: GettyDeclan Rice reminded pals to use the techniques ahead of the shootoutCredit: GettyEngland’s penalty shootout recordTHE dreaded penalty shootout.England’s nemesis at no fewer than EIGHT major tournaments since 1990, from the West Germany heartache at Italia 90 to Wembley woes on the brink of Euro 2020 final glory.But the perfect shootout win over Switzerland at Euro 2024 gives some reason for optimism…1990 World Cup semi-final vs WEST GERMANY, 04/07/1990 – LOST 4-3Euro 1996 quarter-final vs SPAIN, 22/06/1996 – WON 4-2Euro 1996 semi-final vs WEST GERMANY, 26/06/1996 – LOST 6-5Friendly vs BELGIUM, 29/05/1998 – LOST 4-31998 World Cup last 16 vs ARGENTINA, 30/06/1998 – LOST 4-3Euro 2004 quarter-final vs PORTUGAL, 24/06/2004 – LOST 6-52006 World Cup quarter-final vs PORTUGAL, 01/07/2006 – LOST 3-1Euro 2012 quarter-final vs ITALY, 24/06/2012 – LOST 4-22018 World Cup last 16 vs COLOMBIA, 03/07/2018 – WON 4-3Nations League third-place play-off vs SWITZERLAND, 09/06/2019 – WON 6-5Euro 2020 final vs ITALY, 11/07/2021 – LOST 3-2Euro 2024 last-16 vs SWITZERLAND, 06/07/24 – WON 5-3OVERALL: Played 12 Won 4, Lost 8The likes of Palmer and Toney could be seen sucking in the air before their penalties smashed the back of the net.But it was Declan Rice, who didn’t take a spot-kick, who was seemingly most influenced by Sandeman’s session.Luke Shaw revealed that Rice reminded team-mates about the breathing techniques after 120 minutes, admitting most players’ minds were elsewhere.He said: “Declan was our speaker, he was calming everyone down and telling them to do their breathing techniques and manifest them. It was needed.”Meanwhile, Bellingham thanked England coach and former Chelsea star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for also helping the players remain calm from the spot.He said: “I was really confident in my preparation, confident in the things I talked through with Hasselbaink, he’s stepped up for us massively.“It’s the work he does behind closed doors, with the lads being willing to take on that information, that put us in those situations in order to be able to win.”Jude Bellingham thanked Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for inspiring England’s penalty winCredit: PABellingham fired home his spot-kick with aplombCredit: GettyEngland’s five-point penalty shootout planEXPERT football psychologist Professor Geir Jordet has told Gareth Southgate and his players what they can do to give themselves the best chance of victory in any shootouts.And he has even thrown in a rogue, bold suggestion for the Three Lions manager…1. START PLANNING LAST YEAR “It’s about planning for the opposition’s penalty takers but also ‘how do we win the psychological game against each opponent?’2. SMART SOUTHGATE LEADERSHIP”Southgate will have two minutes to influence his players as effectively as possible, show he has a plan and get confidence across.”3. DICTATE AS A TEAM”A shootout is really a team performance. Have the goalkeeper walk with the penalty taker into the penalty area to basically create a two-versus-one against the other goalkeeper. Dominate the centre circle, support the players who missed.”4. ‘BULLETPROOF’ INDIVIDUAL ROUTINES “Have really good, individualised and rehearsed pre-shot routines that are bulletproof and polished so they’re more likely to be able to resist the stress and more likely to score.”5. SHOOT YOUR SHOT  “Practise the shot itself, trying to simulate penalty shootouts in training. Even recreating 20 per cent of a Euros final penalty shootout is going to have a benefit for your performance.”AND A JOR DROPPING IDEA…Jordan Pickford is the No1 but Dean Henderson actually has a far better penalty record – saving 8/22 (36 per cent) compared to Pickford’s 8/62 (13 per cent).Jordet said: “One could consider making a late substitution for a penalty shootout. I doubt that they dare to do it in case it fails and the pressure is even higher but it would be a very ballsy move.” More