Gareth Southgate will not be naming any substitutes in England’s Euro 2024 opener against Serbia on Sunday. Instead, he will list 13 outfield ‘finishers’.
That is the message the squad have been given at their training base here in Blankenhain this week. No one, says the boss, is a reserve. Rather, players not starting should see themselves as those with the ability to impact at the other end of the contest.
It is an interesting concept, first introduced by England rugby head coach Eddie Jones in 2017 and adopted by Southgate.