England must live up to Kieran Trippier’s Bazball promise at Euro 2024

Kieran Trippier will captain England at his club stadium on Monday against Bosnia and Herzegovina - Getty Images/Eddie Keogh

England want to attack the European Championship in the same way as their cricket counterparts play so positively in Test matches.

The sight of Ben Stokes at Middlesbrough’s training ground, Rockliffe Park, where England have based themselves ahead of Monday’s Euros warm-up match against Bosnia and Herzegovina brought the inevitable question: will it be the football equivalent of ‘Bazball’ in Germany for Gareth Southgate’s team?

“Obviously it is the same as we want to do. We want to attack every tournament and attack every game similar to cricket,” said Kieran Trippier. “He [Stokes] has some incredible stories about the setbacks he has had. We can relate that to ourselves. Attacking it is something we want to do in this tournament as well.”

Ollie Watkins (left) was greeted by England's Test captain Ben Stokes at their training camp in Middlesbrough - Getty Images/Eddie Keogh

Trippier will captain England at the game at St James Park – the home stadium of his club side, Newcastle United, and with his son, Jacob, as one of the mascots – and sat enthralled with the other players on Saturday as Stokes talked through his career: the successes and set-backs and, crucially, the philosophy under coach Brendon McCullum that has developed him as one of the most devastating players in world cricket.

“We all took so much from it. It was stuff about leadership, the ups and downs and how you deal with them. I think it’s really important as well because we can look at his path and his journey, what he has been through. We can relate to that,” Trippier added. “We lost in the final [of the last Euros], the [World Cup] semi-final and obviously Qatar. It’s how we bounce back from that and he’s done that.”

For those still wondering how Stokes’s experience can relate to football, Trippier explained: “I don’t know a lot about cricket but he was talking about the last over, the ‘super over’, and he was saying that it doesn’t really happen so they can’t really practise for that so that was a challenge that we have to face and it’s similar to us with penalty shoot-outs, extra-time.”

The visit from the Durham all-rounder was arranged by Southgate and is part of his preparations for a tournament which could be his last as England manager and where the Three Lions will arrive as one of the favourites.

“In my head he’s one of the few English sportsmen that I felt could impact them [the players], make them think,” Southgate – himself a keen village cricketer said.

“He’s authentic, he talked brilliantly about getting the right balance of fearlessness but recognising that anybody’s going to have nerves. It’s still making good decisions under pressure. He was able to talk to them about some leadership aspects, the culture he’d tried to create.

“I think that backed up some of the things we’re doing so we were pleased that it reaffirmed some ideas as well. I just think he’s a hugely impressive guy that’s relatable to their age.”

The use of the word “fearlessness” will be music to the ears of England fans. Too often in the past caution has been the watchword but, having restored confidence and having steadily brought back belief in previous tournaments, starting that rehab job with the 2018 World Cup, Southgate accepts what the next step entails.

It does not necessarily mean being ‘gung-ho’ with England tactics, not least because there is always a logical acknowledgement that defensively well-organised teams win tournaments: Argentina in the Qatar World Cup in 2022, Italy in the last Euros, France in 2018 and Portugal in 2016 to name the last four major finals, alone.

But it is a step towards acknowledging that for this England squad there is an array of attacking weapons that are the envy of the rest of Europe. And Southgate knows he must utilise that strength to ward off criticism – not that he is too concerned about that – but, more importantly, to provide England with the best chance of winning. There needs to be no regrets or inhibitions.

“Seven or eight years ago we were trying to protect the team from the pressure,” Southgate explained, having taken over in 2016 after the trauma of exiting the Euros to Iceland and the Sam Allardyce fiasco following Roy Hodgson leaving.

“The pressure was too much and the level and experience of the team weren’t ready to cope with that. Now we know that we are and we know we are one of the teams that can go there and win. There are several but we are absolutely in that group and we have to embrace that challenge.”

Southgate has selected a 33-man provisional squad – more than any other coach at the Euros – which will be whittled down to 26 by midnight on Friday, Uefa’s deadline, after the Iceland game has ended at Wembley.

Southgate’s reasoning is because there are so many injury doubts, some quite serious, and players at varying levels of fitness and preparedness. However he admitted he had already spoken to the young uncapped players in the squad to let them know they are unlikely to make it.

That group would include goalkeeper James Trafford, centre-halves Jarell Quansah and Jarrad Branthwaite, midfielder Adam Wharton – who, interestingly he talked up “I have liked how he has trained. He looks to play forward, he can play one touch. He’s adapted to things very well,” Southgate said – and probably also Curtis Jones.

“We’ve got some young players who I spoke to at the start and said: ‘Look, we don’t know how this is going to play out but let the start point be that this should be a great experience for you. Coming to train with us. The chances are you might not be coming all the way with us,’” Southgate said before adding: “Equally, things can happen and they can force their way in. I think they understand that.”

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