No excuses this time, England expects

LONDON : The time for hard-luck stories and excuses is over for England as they head into Euro 2024 with expectations of a first major men's trophy since 1966 justifiably sky high.

Gareth Southgate's squad will be unsurpassed in terms of quality in Germany and any scenario other than Harry Kane holding aloft the trophy on July 14 will be regarded by the majority of fans as under-achievement.

The head coach, who took over in 2016 with England at a low ebb, has an enviable cast to choose from and, while there are still legitimate concerns about their defence, England clearly have the firepower to go all the way.

Captain Kane will lead from the front after an incredible first season at Bayern Munich where, despite not winning a trophy, he has smashed more scoring records.

Midfielder Jude Bellingham has been equally impressive in his first season at Real Madrid - the 20-year-old settling in instantly and becoming the leader of a team that cruised to the La Liga title and reached the Champions League final.

Manchester City's attacking midfielder Phil Foden has taken his game to new heights this season, as have Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice at Arsenal while Ollie Watkins has emerged as a striker capable of taking some of the load off Kane.

While still youthful, England's squad also have the benefit of experience of the pressure associated with reaching the business end of tournaments and the pain of a Euro 2020 final loss to Italy on penalties, and a quarter-final defeat by France at the Qatar World Cup will fuel their desire to shed the 'nearly-men' tag.

Bellingham was an unused substitute at Wembley against Italy in the ill-fated Euro 2020 final but Southgate's likely starting line-up for their opener against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen