GARETH SOUTHGATE has some difficult decisions to make this weekend.
England will face Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday, with a huge prize up for grabs.
Should they beat Luis de la Fuente’s side, the Three Lions will secure their first major title in 58 years.
They came agonisingly close in 2021 but lost out to Italy in the final.
Southgate will now look to go one step further by winning the trophy in Berlin.
But to do so he will have to pick his starting line-up carefully.
Many fans have called for semi-final hero Ollie Watkins to get the nod over captain Harry Kane following his last-gasp strike against Netherlands.
They also want Luke Shaw back in the XI following his return from injury.
Southgate is yet to offer any hints about his potential line-up, but SunSport have looked at three different ways he could approach the game.
If the England boss were to make any changes, the most likely one would be Shaw replacing Kieran Trippier.
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NINE summers ago Ollie Watkins went on a lads’ holiday after helping to save Conference South side Weston-Super-Mare from relegation, writes Dan King.
Now he’s just fired England into the Euro 2024 final with a sensational 90th-minute winner.
And even helped Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League last season.
Watkins arrived on the Somerset coast as a teenaged striker on loan from League Two Exeter in December 2014.
His 10 goals in 24 league games were a big factor in stopping Weston from slipping into the sixth tier for the first time in their history – and in giving them something to celebrate on a post-season trip to Spain.
But it was also his workrate and attitude that earned him the respect of the dressing room, and helped him take the first significant steps on the road to stardom.
Ryan Northmore, boss of Weston at the time, said: “His goals saved the club from relegation. But he contributed much more than his goals, which is really important when you’re scrapping away for your lives.
“He wasn’t just sat at the top of the pitch waiting for the ball to come. He would roll his sleeves up and get involved in all aspects of the game.”
Days after joining, Watkins made an instant impact with an equaliser against Farnborough.
Team-mate Tom Jordan said: “He always struck me as the kind of lad who had his eyes wide open to different aspects of the game.
“Sometimes you would have loan lads come in from a League club to non-League and they would be looking at you like they were doing you a favour.
“His attitude was very different. He was coming in thinking, ‘I’m going to learn from this experience’.”
It was during Watkins’ spell at Weston that the then Walsall boss Dean Smith spotted him.
Smith would later take the striker to Brentford and bring him to Villa, where he has reached new levels under current boss Unai Emery.
But Watkins has never forgotten the part that Weston played in his rise to the top.
One of his Villa shirts is on display there, he has spoken to young players coming through and happily tells the local press how important and enjoyable his time at the club was.
And he even helped fund an end-of-season boys’ trip to Spain due to his fines for being late – although he was allowed to join the rest of the squad.
Read all about Ollie Watkins’ incredible rise in full…
Despite being a right-back, Trippier swapped over to the left at the start of the tournament.
He began as a left-back before switching to a left wing-back role when Southgate changed formations against Switzerland.
The Newcastle star was initially put there to cover Shaw while he was recovering from injury.
But with the Manchester United defender now fully fit, Trippier could be surplus to requirements.
In what would arguably be the biggest shock, Southgate could also decide to drop captain Kane.
The striker has appeared fatigued at times throughout the tournament, likely due to a recent back injury.
But Southgate has continued to show faith in him, despite impressive substitute appearances from both Watkins and Ivan Toney.
It would be unlikely, but the England boss could decide to put Watkins in contention for a start.
England have played Spain 27 times in total - here is a look at every result...
Overall, England have won 14, drawn three and lost 10 matches against Spain.
Alternatively – and this would be even more far-fetched – he could decide to tweak his formation and play two strikers.
Should he do so, Kobbie Mainoo could be dropped to the bench despite his fantastic Player of the Match performance against Netherlands.
In that situation, England could line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation with Jude Bellingham playing alongside Declan Rice in the centre of midfield and Phil Foden starring further forward.
Finally – and the most likely scenario – Southgate could opt to simply keep everything the same.
Kane could remain as England’s sole No9, with Trippier keeping his spot on the left.
That would give the likes of Watkins and Shaw the chance to make an impact later in the match.
AFTER what has been a tough tournament of times, what an opportunity Gareth Southgate and his team will have to end in the best possible way, writes Jack Wilshere.
We might like a team that played better football. But it’s a results business.
Germany, Italy, France, Portugal and of course Holland would love to be where we are.
People will say we’re lucky because we’re on this side of the draw.
But we won the group. France didn’t and then ran into Spain.
You can say it wasn’t that pretty, but we’re there.
Gareth and his coaches won’t have been happy with some of the performances.
But I did like the way Gareth and his team have dealt with it.
There was no panic coming out of the camp.
Everyone gave the same message: ‘We know we can better, but we’re here still.’
And on Sunday they will be in Berlin to play Spain.
They will probably have to produce two halves of football as good as the first against Holland to beat them.
We have improved as the tournament has gone on and that is how you win things.
You want to peak in the final.
If Gareth can lead England to that major trophy we’ve all been waiting for, it will be the perfect answer to the critics and a brilliant day for us all.
Read Jack Wilshere’s England vs Holland verdict in full.
Or check out all of SunSport columnist Jack’s Euros 2024 opinions…
