Heading into the tournament opener against Croatia, the biggest question facing Gareth Southgate was whether he would start Raheem Sterling.
The Manchester City star wasn’t playing regularly for his club, stats were down on the previous two campaigns and the emergence of Phil Foden and Jack Grealish meant there was a clamour for him to be benched.
The uncertainty over Sterling’s place seems ridiculous now — he was unquestionably England’s player of the tournament.
The notion of Sterling starting Euro 2020 on the bench was just as nonsensical to Southgate and his assistant Steve Holland.