CRAIG HOPE’S EURO 2024 RATINGS
JORDAN PICKFORD 8
ENGLAND’S most consistent player. The notion of him being an excitable presence is surely put to bed now. That is nonsense. Pickford has matured and, allied to leadership qualities, he makes big saves at big moments. He kept them in the final and semi-final. He’s the penalty king, too. Only disappointment for him was losing a three-putt challenge to myself…
MINUTES PLAYED 690 DISTANCE COVERED 25.8miles CONCEDED 6 SAVES 7
KYLE WALKER 4.5
POOR tournament. He’s been a very good England player, but it feels like the end. I wrote throughout the competition that he does not see danger quickly enough — and both goals came from his area in the final. And where was the attacking threat? Alexander-Arnold would have been a better bet at right back.
MINUTES PLAYED 690 DISTANCE COVERED 46.4miles PASSES COMPLETED 448 (90.6%)
JOHN STONES 6.5
GOT better with each match — no surprise given game-time issues at Manchester City — and produced his best in final. That is the real Stones, the one who is this country’s best centre back by a distance. It’s a frustration he wasn’t able to show that class earlier, when England needed his ball-playing skill stepping into midfield.
MINUTES PLAYED 690 DISTANCE COVERED 44.6miles PASSES COMPLETED 526 (94.2%)
MARC GUEHI 7
I’M conflicted here. He did very well early on and was England’s best coming out of the group stage, but you always suspected he might struggle against opponents with sharper and cuter movement, and so it proved in final. Still, he’s 24 and will improve for the experience. Could be an England regular for years to come if he can learn from those mistakes.
MINUTES PLAYED 570 DISTANCE COVERED 38.4miles ASSISTS 1 PASSES COMPLETED 415 (92.7%)
KIERAN TRIPPIER 6.5
SACRIFICED the best of himself for the team and there is an argument to say Southgate should have stuck with him for the final. Did not let anyone down and it’s not his fault the team lacked balance for him playing left back. His strongest quality, his right foot, was neutralised by position, and that’s a shame.
MINUTES PLAYED 453 DISTANCE COVERED 32.9miles PASSES COMPLETED 290 (88.3%)
DECLAN RICE 5
IS HE as good as we think he is? I don’t know the answer, because I came into this tournament believing he was a superstar. We did not see that here. His feet aren’t quick enough to get out of tight situations against the very best — see the final — and he did not control games as we might expect. One good game, and that’s not good enough for a £100million midfielder.
MINUTES PLAYED 690 DISTANCE COVERED 53.2miles PASSES COMPLETED 490 (91.3%)
KOBBIE MAINOO 7.5
CAME up short in final, but that’s the negative out the way. That apart, he was a breath of fresh air. At 19, he was braver, brighter and more incisive than any of Foden, Bellingham or Kane. He’s a star, but also needs to learn how to impact over 90 minutes and control games. He’s good enough, and that will come.
MINUTES PLAYED 370 DISTANCE COVERED 28.5miles PASSES COMPLETED 190 (92.5%)
CONOR GALLAGHER 5
HIS midfield audition lasted just 45 minutes and, while he didn’t play well, you felt for him, because he seems a very decent type. He was useful when coming off the bench later in games.
MINUTES PLAYED 118 DISTANCE COVERED 10.1miles PASSES COMPLETED 46 (73.6%)
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD 4.5
TWO midfield starts were a disaster. Should never have been played there by Southgate, as Mail Sport declared on eve of tournament. He’s a right back, and would have been better than Walker, you suspect. Misused, so there is sympathy, but did not play well. He’ll always have that winning penalty, though.
MINUTES PLAYED 134 DISTANCE COVERED 10.7miles PASSES COMPLETED 86 (87%)
BUKAYO SAKA 7.5
A PATCHY start, playing in moments. He lacked intensity off the ball and it felt as if team were carrying him. Then, in quarters versus Switzerland, he caught fire. Brilliant again in semi and did well enough in final. He put Foden and Bellingham to shame for energy and adventure. Showed why he is a top England player.
MINUTES PLAYED 635 DISTANCE COVERED 43.4miles GOALS 1 ASSISTS 1 PASS COMPLETED 215 (88.4%)
PHIL FODEN 4.5
Two good halves out of 14 — plus extra time — and leaves without a goal or assist. You cannot overstate how big a disappointment he was. Came here as Premier League Player of the Year but did not play with that confidence. Failed to click with Bellingham — they can’t play together — and only briefly looked to seize the initiative. Should have been dropped.
MINUTES PLAYED 622 DISTANCE COVERED 49.3miles PASSES COMPLETED 314 (89.7%)
JUDE BELLINGHAM 6
WITHOUT his genius intervention versus Slovakia, England would not have made final. He also scored super goal in opener and got assist in final. But apart from that? A petulant passenger at times, not running as hard and as fast as he should. Tired? Or weighed down by believing his own hype? Body language was not good. A disappointment.
MINUTES PLAYED 671 DISTANCE COVERED 46.7miles GOALS 2 ASSISTS 1 PASS COMPLETED 311 (85.6%)
HARRY KANE 4
HOW can the Euros joint-top scorer be given that rating? Well, he was England’s worst player from those who started regularly. Immobile in every game, barely touched the ball and, when he did, lost it too often. Was he selfish by playing, if not fit? Or was Southgate too scared to drop him? He should NOT have played. The team looked much more fluid when he went off.
MINUTES PLAYED 605 DISTANCE COVERED 43.7miles GOALS 3 PASS COMPLETED 68 (73.6%)
LUKE SHAW 6
HAD a decent final on first start, even though he was caught out for Spain’s opener. Was brought on against the Netherlands to exploit space on their right, and he didn’t. But, on the whole, he did OK given four-month absence.
MINUTES PLAYED 177 DISTANCE COVERED 12.4miles PASSES COMPLETED 67 (96.3%)
COLE PALMER 7.5
WHAT would England have looked like if he had played from the start? Deserved to be in ahead of Foden. The young man is a star and has the self-belief needed to thrive on this stage, so why didn’t Southgate see that? He was fit and in form, unlike others. Super goal in final and laid on winner in semi-final.
MINUTES PLAYED 144 DISTANCE COVERED 12.2miles GOAL 1 ASSIST 1 PASS COMPLETED 52 (80%)
EZRI KONSA 6
CAME in for quarter-final against Switzerland and did well. He will be a good squad player for years to come.
MINUTES PLAYED 94 DISTANCE COVERED 6.1miles PASSES COMPLETED 46 (55%)
OLLIE WATKINS 7
HIS tournament boiled down to three chances — two missed, one taken. The one he put away in the semi versus Netherlands will forever be an iconic England moment. He missed one when coming on versus Denmark and then, in the final, a poor touch robbed him of equalising chance in 90th minute. Still, the team looked better for his pace and willingness to run in behind.
MINUTES PLAYED 59 DISTANCE COVERED 5.3miles GOALS 1 PASS COMPLETED 3 (66.7%)
IVAN TONEY 7
CAME on to help rescue last-16 tie and then took cool penalty in quarters. Always looked dangerous and likely to make something happen. We should have seen more of him.
MINUTES PLAYED 43 DISTANCE COVERED 3.9miles ASSIST 1 PASS COMPLETED 3 (66.7%)
JARROD BOWEN 5
FLASHES of promise when coming on but, ultimately, did not make that one telling impact needed.
MINUTES PLAYED 35 DISTANCE COVERED 3.2miles PASSES COMPLETED 9 (81.5%)
EBERECHI EZE 5.5
HE did well as a sub and showed quality on the ball. But he wasn’t what England needed in those moments, when pace to break the lines and tedium of their play was necessary. That’s not his fault, though.
MINUTES PLAYED 99 DISTANCE COVERED 7.9miles PASSES COMPLETED 28 (79%)
ANTHONY GORDON 6
FOUR minutes on the pitch and showed what he can do in that brief period, dribbling by his man on the left and playing a killer ball through the middle in the final group-stage game against Slovenia. Why on earth was he not used more often? It’s a mystery, given his skillset was exactly what the team needed. He will leave here thinking it was all a waste of his time.
MINUTES PLAYED 4 DISTANCE COVERED 0.4miles PASSES COMPLETED 2 (100%)
MANAGER
GARETH SOUTHGATE 5
HE took England to the final, and much of that was a result of his previous work in changing mindsets and instilling tournament resilience.
But, in truth, he had a poor tournament selection-wise and tactically. His team played well for less than 90 minutes cumulatively and relied on ‘moments’ to progress. They should be better than that. Feels like the end of his reign, and good luck to him. He’s done a very good job over eight years.