Yahoo Sports England press conference LIVE! Southgate and Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
England press conference LIVE!
Head coach Gareth Southgate and captain Harry Kane are addressing the media ahead of Sunday’s Euro 2024 final against Spain. The Three Lions find themselves in another Euros final, three years on from their penalty shootout heartbreak at the hands of Italy at Wembley.
History has already been made with England in their first ever tournament finale on foreign soil, but they face the most impressive side on show so far in La Roja. Luis de la Fuente’s side have already dispatched the likes of Croatia, Italy, hosts Germany and pre-tournament favourites France. England have it all to do.
Southgate heads into his second final with questions over his future, with the Football Association keen to extend his contract beyond the 2026 World Cup and the man himself previously expected to step up, win or lose, this year. Kane is also co-leader of the Golden Boot race along with Spain star Dani Olmo. Hear what they both have to say from 6.45pm UK time below!
England press conference latest updates
Start time: 6.45pm BST
Latest England team news: Shaw to start?
England fans spend thousands in hope of witnessing ‘history’
Four previous meetings between Euro 2024 finalists
England face one last obstacle on one hell of a journey
Southgate: I don’t believe in fairytales, but I do believe in dreams
20:25 , Alex Young
Gareth Southgate has called on his England players to be “fearless” as they stand on the brink of history on Sunday night, and told the nation: “I don’t believe in fairytales, but I do believe in dreams.”
The Three Lions have been on a rollercoaster ride to the German capital, starting the tournament slowly and coming from behind to win all three knockout matches in dramatic late fashion.
While Spain head into Sunday’s final as favourites, there is a growing sense of destiny around the manner of England’s progress, but Southgate has warned his team that fate will not hand them the trophy at the Olympiastadion.
“Look, I’m not a believer in fairytales but I am a believer in dreams,” he said. “We’ve had big dreams, we felt the need and importance of that. But then you have to make those things happen.
“Fate, the run we’ve had, the late goals, the penalties, that doesn’t equate to it being our moment. We have to make it happen tomorrow. Of course it would be a lovely story but it’s in our hands and our performance is the most important thing.”
Kane: I'd trade the lot for Euros win
20:06 , Alex Young
Harry Kane says he would swap everything he has achieved in his career to lead England to glory in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday.
Kane will captain England against Spain in Berlin, hoping to end the nation's 58-year wait to win a men's tournament and claim the first club trophy of his own career.
The Bayern Munich forward is the record goalscorer for England and Tottenham, and has racked up countless individual honours, including the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup.
But Kane says he would swap it all to end his trophy drought with "one of the biggest" honours in the game this weekend.
"Yeah, for sure," Kane said, when posed with the hypothetical at England's pre-match press conference at Olympiastadion. "Of course, it's no secret that I haven't won a team trophy and every year goes by I'm more motivated and more determined to change that.
19:24 , Alex Young
That’s all from Gareth and Harry!
Gareth Southgate on the final
19:23 , Alex Young
“I couldn’t wish for anything more than representing my country, first as a player and then as a manager to lead my nation.
“I head into tomorrow with no fear as I’ve seen it all before.”
Harry Kane on Lamine Yamal
19:20 , Alex Young
"Happy Birthday to him! You can see he plays with no fear or freedom.
"Well done to him for his short, but very good, career so far."
Gareth Southgate on changing England
19:18 , Alex Young
"We tried to change the mindset from the start. I watched highlights reels they show before games and we weren't in any of them as they only show the finals!
"In the end, you have to be always in the latter stages of the tournaments to learn how to win those games. We know we have to win this one and win this trophy to feel the respect from the rest of the football world."
Harry Kane on if he would swap all personal trophies for Euros win
19:14 , Alex Young
"Yeah, for sure.
"It's no secret that I haven't won a team trophy and every year that goes by you feel more motivated.
"No question, I'd swap everything to have a special night and win tomorrow."
Harry Kane on popularity in Germany
19:12
"The support I've had since I've been in Germany has been incredible, not just at Bayern but also during this tournament.
"I'm really appreciative of that, and I'm sure there are a few German fans who will be wishing me well tomorrow."
Gareth Southgate on how the team has evolved
19:10 , Alex Young
"We've had to find a different way of playing as the tournament progressed. We had a lot of issues in the squad heading into the tournament, particularly at the back.
"We've tried to find the right balance, like in attack as there are players who like to play in similar positions.
"We now look dangerous and look like we can score goals again."
Harry Kane on togetherness
19:09 , Alex Young
"The team is confident, but we never take anything for granted. We have a lot of great players in the team, a lot of togetherness ... but ultimately it's all about when you step out onto the pitch."
Harry Kane on Lionesses
19:06 , Alex Young
"I haven't spoken to any of the Lionesses. What they achieved [in 2022] was incredible and brought the nation together, and we're excited to do the same tomorrow."
Harry Kane on that winning feelings
19:04 , Alex Young
"You try not to think too much about what winning would mean to me and my country, but you use it as motivation.
"When you're here, you're in a bubble. You see videos and fans at games... I'm extremely excited at the chance of making a lot of people, including me, very happy."
Harry Kane on losing the last Euros final
19:01 , Alex Young
"I'm always someone who tries to learn from disappoint and tough times, it helps me improve. I'm excited to be back in another Euros final, and now it's all about executing the gameplan we want and getting over the line.
"We done fantastic in a lot of tournaments.
Harry Kane adds
18:59 , Alex Young
"It was a tough finish in the last Euros and we know tomorrow will be an extremely tough night.
“The boss says it will be done to small details, which we've got right so far this tournament.”
Gareth Southgate on fine margins
18:59 , Alex Young
"We've got good experiences in big matches now. You don't need to say too much to these players ... fine margins decde these games, and we need to make sure we're on the right side of them.
"Our decision-making is really important, you need to make sure you get everything right on these nights."
Harry Kane adds
18:57 , Alex Young
"We are extremely happy to be in this situation and, of course, we are desperate to go one step further than three years ago."
Gareth Southgate on feeling in camp
18:56 , Alex Young
"Everybody is fit, which is great. We are excited for the challenge.
"Clearly the team have improved over the last few weeks, shown tremendous character and resiliance.
"Now we have a fabulous opportunity to achieve what we set out the moment we left Qatar [2022 World Cup] earliert than we had hoped."
18:55 , Alex Young
Right, all seated. Let’s go.
18:52 , Alex Young
Dan and Malik are seated, waiting for Gareth and Harry to do the same.
18:46 , Alex Young
Running a tad late, it seems.
18:35 , Alex Young
Not long to go now. We should see bums in seats in about 10 minutes.
Latest odds
18:27 , Alex Young
England know they face a tall order tomorrow, and the bookies agree.
To lift the trophy
Spain: 7/10
England: 11/10
Method of victory
Spain in normal time: 11/8
Englan in normal time: 11/5
Spain in extra time: 8/1
England in extra time: 10/1
Spain on penalties: 7/1
England on penalties: 15/2
(Odds via Betway.)
Reporting for duty
18:16 , Alex Young
Malik Ouzia has arrived.
One more to go. Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane up shortly in Berlin pic.twitter.com/7mAMktNjXJ
— Malik Ouzia (@MalikOuzia_) July 13, 2024
Latest England team news
18:11 , Alex Young
Gareth Southgate has a decision to make at left-wing-back as he prepares his England team for Sunday’s historic c;ash.
The Three Lions are seeking to finally end the country’s 58-year wait for a men’s major tournament triumph after their dramatic 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in Wednesday night’s semi-final.
Kieran Trippier started that game on the left side of defence, as he has done throughout the tournament while Luke Shaw has been recovering from a hamstring problem.
However, Shaw was sent on at half-time and Southgate suggested afterwards that Trippier’s early withdrawal had not been purely tactical.
Shaw only made his comeback from five months on the sidelines as a late substitute in the quarter-final win over Switzerland, but could now start Sunday’s final in Berlin, three years after scoring the opening goal in the last final against Italy.
Elsewhere, despite fears over fatigue amid a quick turnaround between matches, Southgate is likely to stick with the same XI.
Malik Ouzia's preview
18:00 , Alex Young
From a hostile shower of beery dregs and plastic cups to that familiar nation-sweeping wave of optimism and hope. It's taken a little longer this time around, but Gareth Southgate and his England have done it again, got us all talking of those years of hurt, got us dreaming once more.
Less than a fortnight ago, they were 90 seconds and a Jude Bellingham bicycle-kick away from villainy. Now they stand 90 minutes from glory for all time.
And by Monday morning, what will they be, this manager and his side? Legends to match Sir Alf Ramsey and his heroes of 1966 as the only men's team to deliver major silverware to a proud, but underachieving, footballing nation? Or the nearly men, the loveable group that went close once, twice, three times in four tournaments, but never quite got over the line?
To couch their legacy in such binary terms might seem harsh, but so much has Southgate's England achieved already that only victory over Spain in Berlin on Sunday can change it now.
Read: England face one last obstacle on one hell of a journey
Four previous meetings
17:49 , Alex Young
England will meet Spain in Berlin on Sunday as a month-long festival of football comes to a close.
Here’s a look back at previous meetings between the European Championship finalists.
England fans spend thousands in hope of witnessing ‘history’
17:41 , Alex Young
England fans have paid thousands of pounds and travelled by air, road and rail to be in with a chance of watching “history” at the Euro 2024 final.
On Saturday afternoon, some of the supporters who had made the journey to Berlin were enjoying a drink in Breitscheidplatz, which has been allocated as a meeting point.
Alfie Bray, 21, a mechanical engineer from Birmingham, had flown from London to Frankfurt and got the train to Berlin.
He and friend Callum Williams, 21, booked travel to the city as soon as the second goal was scored in the semi-final.
He added: “Didn’t even get to celebrate the goal. As soon as the second one went in, on the phone straight away.”
He said he was “buzzing” for the final and predicted a 5-0 win for England but said “don’t ask” about the cost of the trip.
He told the PA news agency: “My ticket was about £850 and then flights, paid £400, and obviously all the booze here.”
Welcome
17:33 , Alex Young
Good afternoon and welcome to the Evening Standard’s LIVE coverage England’s final press conference ahead of the Euro 2024 final.
Head coach Gareth Southgate and captain Harry Kane are addressing the media, and we have Dan Kilpatrick and Malik Ouzia in attendance.
Southgate and Kane are due to sit down from 6.45pm UK. Stick with us.
