England Euro 2020 team profile: squad, manager, odds and prospects

Tournament odds: 5-1

Gareth Southgate was widely heralded after steering England to 2018 World Cup semi-finals but expectations have risen and the Three Lions are among the favourites for Euro 2020 glory.

England's record in the competition is the poorest among top-tier nations and they suffered an embarrassing exit at Euro 2016, losing 2-1 to Iceland.

Supporters have fond memories of England's run to the last four at Euro 96 and home advantage could have a major role to play this summer.

All of England's Group D matches take place at Wembley and there is the potential to return to the national stadium for the round of 16, the semi-final and the final.

The pathway to a home match in the round of 16 depends on winning Group D but England would then be faced with a step up in class with the Group F runners up - probably one of Portugal, France or Germany - lying in wait.

And tackling elite opponents at an early stage would be very different from the 2018 World Cup when England's path to the semi-finals featured matches against Colombia and Sweden.

England followed up their World Cup adventure with some eye-catching victories in the inaugural 2018 Nations League – winning 3-2 in Spain and 2-1 at home to Croatia.

However, they were less impressive in last autumn's Nations League, finishing below Belgium and Denmark, and still have a bit to prove against top-level opposition.

Winning the big matches requires talent, tactical awareness and a strong mentality and there are doubts over whether England possess the last two of those attributes.

Southgate has ditched a back three in favour of a 4-3-3 and his favoured template for the most difficult matches is to defend solidly and hit on the counter-attack.

Offensively he is spoilt for choice with Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford competing to feature either side of Harry Kane but there are weaknesses in the goalkeeping and centre-back positions which may undermine England's pursuit of glory.

Scouting report

Manager - Gareth Southgate: The 50-year-old is in charge of a hugely talented squad but his tactics can be overly defensive and they may get in the way of the Three Lions' quest for a first major tournament success since 1966.

Probable team - 4-3-3: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Rice, Henderson, Mount; Foden, Kane, Sterling.

Penalty taker: Harry Kane
Free-kick wizard: Harry Kane
Set-piece aerial threat: Harry Maguire
Card magnet: Harry Maguire
Star man: Harry Kane

Team Strengths

• There are quality options galore in the final third and Harry Kane is one of the top centre-forwards at the tournament
• Every manager wants a strong bench and England have match-winners waiting in the wings, including Aston Villa talisman Jack Grealish

Team Weaknesses

• Error-prone Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has had an unconvincing season
• A lack of pace in the centre-back positions could be exposed by high-quality opposition

Prospects: Few teams have greater strength in depth, especially in offensive positions, and a maiden European Championship success cannot be ruled out. However, England could be held back by a shaky defence and their manager's reluctance to go for the jugular.

Inside info - Scott Minto, former Chelsea defender: This is the time for England to win a trophy for the first time since 1966.

There are so many attacking options at Gareth Southgate's disposal that should supply Harry Kane, who is a strong contender for the Golden Boot, and the fact that the tournament is virtually at home should be a massive advantage.

Sign up to Sky Bet and get £30 in free bets when you place a £5 bet

First single & EW bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 3 x £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets are non withdrawable. No free bet expiry. Eligibility restrictions. Further T&Cs apply. 18+ begambleaware.org

CLAIM OFFER HERE

MORE FREE BETS

Sign up to emails from Racing Post Sport and get all the latest news and best bets for Euro 2020

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport