It is not exactly the kind of squad a manager names when he is thinking of quitting at the end of a tournament. Then again, before anyone gets ahead of themselves, it is worth pointing out there has always been a bold streak to Gareth Southgate. Those who accuse him of caution and favouritism are probably forgetting this is the England manager who ditched Joe Hart for Jordan Pickford at the 2018 World Cup and threw a 19-year-old Bukayo Saka into the team against Germany at Euro 2020.
Even so, there was a sense the latest stage of England’s evolution is upon us when Southgate named his provisional squad for Euro 2024 on Tuesday. In picking Adam Wharton, Curtis Jones, Kobbie Mainoo, Jarrad Branthwaite, Jarell Quansah, James Trafford and Anthony Gordon in the 33, Southgate will have left the Football Association wondering whether he has half an eye on the future.
