England Euro 2024 squad odds: Who will make Gareth Southgate's 26?
In the months prior to the 2022 World Cup, Michael Beardmore picked out Conor Coady (4/1), Aaron Ramsdale (11/10) and Luke Shaw (4/5) as successful value selections to make England's squad.
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One of the knock-on effects of the winter World Cup in Qatar is that we won't have to wait long for England's next attempt to finally end the Three Lions' 57-year major trophy drought.
We're virtually an overdue pregnancy term away from Euro 2024 and it will no doubt finish the same way - a desperate need for gas and air, with complete exhaustion and inevitable pain accompanied by incessantly loud bawling at the end.
There are a few final ante-natal classes to get through between now and then, of course - namely England's three remaining qualifying matches, including an imminent home game with Italy.
But with 13 points from 15 so far, Gareth Southgate's men have navigated the competition's embryonic stages with barely a bout of morning sickness.
Given the top two teams in each group qualify, let's assume the due date of June 14, 2024 is set in stone, then - but which 26 players will be allowed into the maternity room when the big moment arrives, and who will be left waiting at home?
Palace pair or Pope?
There are two heavy favourites, and another a little further behind, to be the men tasked with being the safe hands for Southgate's planned delivery process of bringing home our very own bundle of joy.
Jordan Pickford and Aaron Ramsdale are heavily odds-on to make the plane, but injuries and loss of form can happen.
Ramsdale has been displaced by newly-arrived David Raya, and while Pickford and Nick Pope are almost immovable at club level, the latter has been left out of the most recent squad - as a result drifting to 4/6 in the betting.
Which brings us to Crystal Palace.
With Vicente Guaita downing tools, the Eagles were forced to turn to Sam Johnstone between the sticks and brought in Dean Henderson in the final knockings of the transfer window.
Johnstone, included in successive England squads, has been slashed in from 12s to 7/2 - still longer than his Palace teammate Henderson though, as a result of the latter being the current Palace number one.
Burnley's on-loan Manchester City stopper James Trafford - one of the England Under-21 heroes this year - is another option if he impresses as much for the Clarets as he did at League One side Bolton last term but he's still relatively unproven.
To make England's Euro 2024 26-man squad - Goalkeepers (via Sky Bet)
- Jordan Pickford - 1/12
- Aaron Ramsdale - 1/8
- Nick Pope - 4/6
- Dean Henderson - 3/1
- Sam Johnstone - 7/2
- James Trafford - 6/1
- Wes Foderingham - 7/1
Rico on the rise
The number of defenders priced painfully short to be brushing up on their German next summer stretches into double figures, so we'll start at the evens line.
Ben White (7/2) hasn't been involved since mysteriously withdrawing from the World Cup during the tournament, but at a little longer Rico Lewis (4/1) is of interest.
The teenager has recently broken into the City XI in midfielder despite being a full-back by trade.
That versatility, combined with Pep Guardiola's claim that he is one of the most talented players he has ever coached, surely gives him a great chance.
Joe Gomez (8/1) is another utility man who could be the unlikely solution to England's problems
Hardly blessed with options at centre-back, if he can secure football at Liverpool he'll feel he has a great chance. But it does go down as a long shot, as does this next one.
Teenage full-back Lewis Hall, who Newcastle have taken on loan from Chelsea - is 6/1 and given England aren't as blessed on the left side of defence as they are on the right this feels like a genuine option for Southgate.
If Hall displaces Dan Burn in the Toon line-up - not a far-fetched notion at all - his price could shrink.
To make England's Euro 2024 26-man squad - Defenders (via Sky Bet)
- John Stones - 1/9
- Kyle Walker - 1/7
- Luke Shaw - 1/6
- Harry Maguire - 1/5
- Kieran Trippier - 1/5
- Ben Chilwell - 1/4
- Reece James - 1/3
- Trent Alexander-Arnold - 1/3
- Marc Guehi - 4/11
- Levi Colwill - 2/5
- Lewis Dunk - 4/7
- Fikayo Tomori - 4/5
- Ben White - 7/2
- Rico Lewis - 4/1
- Lewis Hall - 6/1
- Joe Gomez - 8/1
One route through midfield minefield
Yes there are the guaranteed inclusions - Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham - but take those two out and it's a bit of a midfield minefield.
Mason Mount looks far too short having been left out of this squad and a couple of others, having made a hardly-auspicious start at Manchester United.
Southgate's made all the right noises saying Jordan Henderson's move to Saudi Arabia won't count against him, but really? Forget 4/7.
Kalvin Phillips' chances will continue to shrink the longer he remains a bit-part player at the Etihad so 1/4 feels ridiculous.
Then there is even-money shout Conor Gallagher, who forced himself into the last year's World Cup squad - much to the surprise of many.
Things are looking up for him too. The fact he captained Chelsea in their past two games suggests he's at the forefront of Mauricio Pochettino's plans.
James Ward-Prowse has been the 'nearly man' for a while but his move to West Ham could be the making of him. He has undoubted set-piece delivery threat and has started life in east London superbly, making 11/4 quite the price.
To make England's Euro 2024 26-man squad - Midfielders (via Sky Bet)
- Declan Rice - 1/12
- Jude Bellingham - 1/12
- Kalvin Phillips - 1/4
- James Maddison - 1/3
- Mason Mount - 4/11
- Eberechi Eze - 1/2
- Jordan Henderson - 4/7
- Conor Gallagher - 1/1
- Morgan Gibbs-White - 5/2
- James Ward-Prowse - 11/4
Eddie edging his way in?
It's a reflection on just how good Bukayo Saka has become that the Arsenal wide man is now the same odds as England's all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane to make Southgate's squad - let that just sink in for a second.
Saka is most neutrals' favourite player to watch right now and how he's rebounded from missing the crucial shootout penalty in the Euro 2020 final has been refreshingly heart-warming.
Seeing Marcus Rashford, another who was errant from the spot against Italy, at a similar price as Saka and Kane seems strange. He's nowhere as near a lock as those two and while he'll likely make it, it's the worst 1/10 shot you'll ever see.
Manchester City pair Jack Grealish and Phil Foden are ingrained Southgate selections now so that's five attackers sorted - although I'm still not completely sold on those two and Saka being included in the forwards market. Maybe it's just me.
Raheem Sterling remained a Southgate pick despite an underwhelming first season at Chelsea and it's difficult to see that changing given he is showing signs of a renaissance under Pochettino.
Is there one more place after those six? Possibly. Callum Wilson got the nod for Qatar but is so injury-prone and has Alexander Isak for competition at Newcastle that Ollie Watkins, who is indisputably first choice at Aston Villa, feels a smarter choice at a slightly longer price.
But it's at the Emirates where a contender has emerged.
Eddie Nketiah has forced himself into the Arsenal starting XI, even when Gabriel Jesus is fit. The Gunners academy graduate has been included in consecutive squads by Southgate, so for him to remain priced at 11/4 seems like a real outlier.
As a final point, it's worth keeping an eye on the markets when Ivan Toney returns from his betting ban - Southgate was pretty effusive in his defence of the Brentford man after the charges against him.
He's unpriced currently but that will change.
To make England's Euro 2024 26-man squad - Forwards (via Sky Bet)
- Bukayo Saka - 1/12
- Harry Kane - 1/12
- Marcus Rashford - 1/10
- Jack Grealish - 1/8
- Phil Foden - 1/8
- Callum Wilson - 8/11
- Ollie Watkins - 11/10
- Raheem Sterling - 11/10
- Anthony Gordon - 2/1
- Jarrod Bowen - 2/1
- Eddie Nketiah - 11/4
Odds correct at 1200 BST (10/10/23)
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