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The pain of losing to Italy in the Euro 2020 final in a penalty shootout will hurt England for a bit after they played some brilliant football.
The Three Lions nearly ended more than a five-decade wait for an international trophy, but fell agonizingly short against the Italians.
England manager Gareth Southgate knows he has the players who can mount another challenge at the 2022 World Cup next year.
The squad is blessed with some talented young players, and quite a lot of them impressed at Euro 2020.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at five players who impressed for England at Euro 2020.
5 best players for England at Euro 2020
#5 Harry Maguire
After missing England’s opening two games against Croatia and Scotland, Harry Maguire returned for the final group game against Czech Republic.
The Manchester United defender was impeccable at the back, and played a key role as the English defense conceded just twice in the entire tournament.
Maguire was strong in the air, winning the highest percentage of aerial duels among all the defenders at Euro 2020.
He was always in the right place at the right time. Maguire was one of the best defenders in the tournament after the Italian duo of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.
#4 Harry Kane
After failing to find the back of the net in the group stage, Harry Kane hit a purple patch in the knockout stages.
The Tottenham star was more than just his goals, though, as he often dropped deep to play an important role in the build-up play for England.
Kane had runners like Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka alongside him and his passing was on point more often than not to release the duo after dropping deep.
Kane also finished just one goal shy of Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the golden boot for his five strikes at Euro 2020.
Although he failed to find the back of the net against Italy in the final, Kane had an impressive tournament and will hope to lead England to glory at the World Cup next year.
#3 Kalvin Phillips
Dubbed the Yorkshire Pirlo by Leeds United fans, Kalvin Phillips had a breakthrough international tournament in June and was a key player in midfield.
England manager Gareth Southgate went with the duo of Declan Rice and Phillips in central midfield, and the two formed a solid partnership.
Phillips was the more proactive of the two midfielders as his passing range and forward forays were a joy to watch. He provided an assist for England’s opening goal of the tournament and was equally impressive at breaking play and making tackles in his own half.
The all-action midfielder kept Jordan Henderson out of the team, which is no mean feat. Still only 25, Phillips will hope to perform well for Leeds United next season and keep his place in the England side at the World Cup next year.
#2 Luke Shaw
Luke Shaw was a key player for England and Gareth Southgate as the English side nearly ended their 55-year wait for an international trophy.
The Manchester United full-back was impressive on the left flank with his marauding runs, and finished with the most assists in the English squad.
Shaw’s overlapping runs were hard to stop as he combined strength and pace well to put in mean crosses into the box.
The former Southampton ace was impressive at the back as well, and didn’t allow too many players to get past him in what was a complete display of solidity at the back and fluency in attack.
Shaw scored a goal in the final to become only the third English player besides Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters to score in a tournament final for his country.
#1 Raheem Sterling
Heading into the tournament, Raheem Sterling was not on most fans’ England XI. Gareth Southgate, however, preferred using the 26-year old on the left, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.
Sterling didn’t have the best of the season for Manchester City, but he played with drive and determination for England.
The former Liverpool attacker scored the England’s opening goal against Croatia, and didn’t look back as his pace and dribbling ability were important for England during the transition. He also scored the winner against Czech Republic and the opening goal against Germany.
Sterling finished the tournament with three goals and one assist, and silenced most of the critics who slated Southgate for preferring him over the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.
