Cole Palmer staked his England claim with his first senior goal as the Three Lions eventually eased to victory in Newcastle.
Harry Kane also grabbed his 63rd England goal against Bosnia-Herzegovina as he proved his fitness again after suffering a bad back to show he’s ready for Germany, and will start against Iceland on Friday. Head coach Southgate pledged Palmer can ’have a big impact’ as he works out his Euros plan.
Palmer has now netted 28 goals in 51 appearances for club and country this season and again showed he’s lethal from the penalty spot. Asked if Palmer could be a starter, Southgate said: “Kane was trying to get on to take (the penalty)! That was never going to happen. Cole showed moments of what he is about. It was his first start.
“There is more to come as he feels more comfortable in the group and we get to feed him the ball as he needs it. He can play in a couple of positions, has had a fabulous season and there is no reason he can’t have a big impact with us.
“I thought Cole linked the game well for us. It was lovely for him to get his first goal. At half-time we said be patient and get the ball through to Cole in particular, and if you keep patient and with more quality the game will open. The scoreline reflected the performance.
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“There were numerous good performances. Eberechi Eze has caught the eye. The way he glides past people. He played with that freedom and swagger. It is great to see young players come into this environment and do that.
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“Conor Gallagher played with maturity. Adam Wharton showed what he has been doing and training. He sees pictures early and he looked comfortable.”
Your turn! Should Cole Palmer start for England? Join the debate in the comments section
Cole Palmer could start for England at Euro 2024 (Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)England ran riot late on as Kane grabbed a third adding to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cracking volley and Palmer’s penalty on the hour. Southgate will trim his 33-man squad to 26 on Friday ahead of the Iceland game.
He explained: “We have to balance the needs in every area of the pitch, that is the complication, not just getting the best individuals in. There’s a positional element. We are spinning a lot of plates to get player minutes.
“We understand the significance for all the players and we give it the respect and consideration it deserves to make fair and right decisions. It will always be subjective. Tonight was a good night for us.”
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