RIO FERDINAND has threatened to “walk home” from Euro 2024 if one specific player does not start for England against Switzerland.
The Three Lions head to Dusseldorf for their quarter-final clash on Saturday evening.
Gareth Southgate is set to make changes to his formation as he looks to reach the last four.
However, Ferdinand is adamant Kobbie Mainoo should keep his place in the side.
The 19-year-old midfielder made his first start of the tournament against Slovakia in the last 16.
Taking to X, Ferdinand wrote: “If Kobbie ain’t starting, I’m walking back from Germany! (He) has to…”
The former England defender is currently in Germany as part of the BBC’s punditry team.
Meanwhile, Mainoo has made three appearances so far at Euro 2024.
Following substitute appearances vs Serbia and Slovenia, he partnered Declan Rice in midfield from the start last time out.
Roy Keane was impressed with the teenager during ITV’s coverage, explaining: “You see the stuff he is doing, I played in that position, but he’s doing stuff that probably took me 10 years to learn.
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“He’s obviously had a great foundation at Man United and he’s getting into good habits but we’ve seen in these big games – and when you’re playing for Man United, every game is a big game for Man United, so he’ll cope with all that.”
Southgate’s overhaul of his side is expected to focus on a formation change, with a shift to a three-man defence.
KOBBIE MAINOO has shown he is the player that England need to build their midfield — and their team — around, writes Jack Wilshere.
That’s what I felt as it looked like we were slipping to defeat against Slovakia.
I know he was not on the pitch when our goals went in.
But until that unbelievable comeback, Mainoo was our best player.
He has a fearlessness and an instinct to do the right things at the right times that seemed to be lacking for so much of the game.
Mainoo alongside Declan Rice gives England better structure. In theory, at least, because for so long it didn’t look like that.
You can have any structure you like but if a team, individually and collectively, lacks confidence, you cannot use that structure effectively.
A fear can creep in. A fear of failing. A fear of losing the ball.
It is partly because of his age that Mainoo does not have that, or appears not to have it.
This was his first start in a major tournament. He does not know what it is like to have a bad one.
If we want to win this tournament, starting with the quarter-final against Switzerland, we will need to control games better.
Mainoo is the kind of midfielder England have been crying out for for a long time.
He can be the glue that holds together this team for the rest of the tournament and well into the future.
Read Jack Wilshere’s column in full.
Or check out all of Jack’s Euro 2024 opinions.
Ezri Konsa is likely to come in for the suspended Marc Guehi alongside Kyle Walker and John Stones.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka have been tipped to fill the wing-back berths.
Saka’s inclusion out wide leaves the possibility of Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham both starting behind Harry Kane in attack.
Mainoo could keep his place alongside Rice in midfield, but Conor Gallagher has also been trialled in the role by Southgate.
