England Brings Stacked Roster to End Trophy Drought

England enters the Euro 2020 tournament as one of the most popular favorites to come away with the silverware when all is said and done in July. They have a very talented and deep roster and the nation is certainly keen on getting back in the win column after a trophy drought of epic proportions that has spanned several generations.

The English have never won the European Football Championships, with their best finishes coming in Italy in 1968, where they finished third, and at home in England in 1996, when they once again took home the disappointing bronze.

The Three Lions have not won a major trophy since their World Cup triumph way back in 1966, when they were the host country. Since the turn of the century, England has been booted twice in the quarter-finals, once in the round of 16, and failed to even reach the knockout stages in the 2014 World Cup. They finished the 2018 tournament in fourth place, their best World Cup finish since 1990.

England has had a very checkered history in the Euros during this new millennium, bowing out in the group stage in 2000, losing out in the Round of 16 in 2016, falling in the quarter-finals in 2004 and 2012, and failing to qualify for the tournament altogether in 2008.

Safe to say, the English and their fans have been through the wringer when it comes to international competitions. However, considering their only World Cup win and their best-ever finish at the Euros have both come on home soil, they have some real reason to feel different about their boys’ chances this time around.

For the first time in Euro history, the tournament is being played in 11 different host cities, one of which is London. The Three Lions will play all three of their group stage games at Wembley Stadium, and if they win Group D, they will play their Round of 16 matchup at home as well.

Then, if they can squeeze through the quarter-finals, they’re in for a treat: both semi-finals and the final will also be played at Wembley. In a tournament with 11 host cities, you can’t ask for much more of an advantage than that.

This edition of the English national football squad has been in fine form lately as well. They went 7-0-1 in their Euro qualifier group back in 2019, with the lone blemish a loss to the Czech Republic.

Th ey didn’t have as easy a go in late 2020 in their Nation tos League fixtures, winning five but dropping one to Belgium and drawing and losing to the Danish. They did, however, skate through their World Cup qualifier games in March, winning the trio of matches by a combined score of 8-1.

Manager Gareth Southgate enters the tournament at the head of a team brimming with talent – except in goal. It remains unclear who Southgate will go with in net, whether it be Henderson, Pickford, or Pope, but whichever way he goes, the English will need to score a lot of goals, and they seem to have the guns to do it.

They have some solid defenders in Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, and John Stones, but they really start to get good when you get to the midfield. Whether it’s creative, attacking, or holding, Southgate’s overflowing with midfield talent. Phil Foden, Mason Mount, Jack Grealish, James Ward-Prowse, Jude Bellingham, and Jesse Lingard, just to name a few.

Ahead of them there is even more to be excited about. Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be an intriguing addition to the lineup, and Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford are just barely below that world-class threshold, which still marks them as elite. And then at the top, of course, is Harry Kane, who ranks sixth on England’s all-time scoring list, with 34 goals for his country.

Kane, who will once again serve as the Three Lions’ skipper, is fresh off a Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup where he netted six goals. His form has been excellent at his club team, Tottenham, this season as well, and he should be a great shout offering solid Euro 2020 odds to earn top goalscorer honours at this summer’s tournament.

The English are listed as co-favorites to win it all with the French, boasting +500 odds on 888sport, and while we’re much more bullish on France considering their overall and recent track records, the English would probably be our next favorite to lift the trophy as Euro 2020 winners, especially with that home field advantage.

It would be quite a wager if they won considering it would be the first time that someone successfully bet on the English to win a major tournament in 55 years.

England Schedule – Group D
June 13England vs CroatiaWembley Stadium
June 18England vs ScotlandWembley Stadium
June 22Czech Republic vs EnglandWembley Stadium
England – European Championships
Appearances9
Best Result3rd place (1968, 1996)
Wins10
Draws11
Losses10
Goal Difference40-35

Alex is an alumnus of Ryerson University's RTA Sport Media program, a contributing NHL, NBA, and MLB writer in the BetPicks.ca team. He has been writing on sports, betting, and fantasy contests for several years, including pitstops as an NFL Editor for theScore and as one of the lead NBA news writers for fantasy sports site FantasyPros. As a lifelong athlete, bettor, and sports fan, Alex is uniquely qualified to help you reach the sports betting success that you've always dreamed of and your wife never believed you could achieve.