Euro 2024: England's Southgate praises 'common sense' decision not to ban Bellingham

Gareth Southgate believes Uefa reached a "sensible outcome" in handing Jude Bellingham a suspended one-match ban that leaves the England manager free to pick his star midfielder for Saturday's Euro 2024 quarter-final clash with Switzerland.

European football's governing body carried out an investigation into a gesture Bellingham appeared to have made towards the Slovakia bench as he celebrated his spectacular overhead kick goal to force their last-16 clash into extra time last Sunday.

The Real Madrid star, 21, insisted in a social media post that the gesture was “an inside joke towards some close friends”, but Uefa opened an investigation on Monday to determine whether the gesture “violated the basic rules of decent conduct”.

Uefa meted out a €30,000 fine to the England star as well as the suspended ban, which will be triggered by any further offence within one year.

“I thought it was a common-sense decision,” England manager Southgate said.

“Clearly when you score a goal of the quality that he did at the moment he did at the age he is, you are going to have an incredible rush of adrenaline. I think there was no intent in the gesture towards anybody other than the communication he has with his family.

“So from our perspective, we thought it was a sensible outcome. I speak to players all the time. I don’t feel a particular need to spend time with Jude on that. He is aware of the investigation and he is an intelligent guy.”

The English Football Association was also fined a €11,000 for crowd disturbances and the lighting of fireworks by supporters during the Slovakia match.

Southgate added: “Jude is an incredible boy to work with. The maturity that he has, how he deals with everything that is put in front of him.

“The