Land of hope wants glory – so they’d better pick their best players for once

Gareth Southgate’s innate conservatism could undo England, who will need their most effective game-changers on the pitch at the same time against Italy

‘There was an insouciance to Jack Grealish and Phil Foden’s link up play that you knew made Gareth Southgate nervous’. Picture: Getty

Are you supporting England or not? Whatever your choice, I’m not going to change your mind here, am I?

I’m an Irish passport holder who is backing England. I won’t try to convince you to join me. We’re all thrashing our path through life’s briars, and the one thing that almost persuaded me to turn back and take the road most travelled was when Gareth Southgate took Jack Grealish off in extra time against Denmark, ...