Euro 2024 LIVE: Latest reaction after Jude Bellingham gives England win over Serbia

“I want the opinions of the four boys but also they’re involved with different age groups in the squad, so they’ll be able to pick up with different areas of the squad,” Southgate said when asked about setting up a leadership group for England.

“We’ve got 26. It’s not easy to keep track of how everyone is every day. You want to open up that dialogue.

“Sometimes with younger players, they’re going to be a little bit more reluctant to approach the head coach and talk about what they’re thinking, so you want a sense check of what’s going on on the ground.

“Those boys are leaders, the squad has taken on a younger dynamic so it’s important they start to embrace more responsibility in those areas.

“It shouldn’t just be for the older players to lead, a lot of our younger players have a lot of caps and a lot of big-match experience. I could have put more into the group but I think four’s enough. We’ll meet regularly and feed back on everything, basically.”

“I think we have a very open relationship with all of the players,” Southgate said in Gelsenkirchen. “We have actually put a small leadership group together for this tournament now with Harry [Kane], Kyle Walker, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham because there’s a different dynamic to this group.

“There’s a lot of younger players and I want to make sure that the voices of the younger players, I am in touch with that as well.

“So, I don’t want to leave here with any stone unturned. I don’t want to have missed anything. It’s always important to know what the players are thinking.

“They have good views, they have good experiences and, also, there will be some decisions I will take without talking to any of them.”

England flew out the blocks at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany and looked ready to put in a statement performance after their star man powerfully headed home Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross in the 13th minute.

That moment sparked scenes of jubilation back home where supporters who had gathered in a Boxpark venue were seen launching their drinks in the air.

While England started well, Serbia’s physicality and nous saw them fight back after the break to make it a nervy finish.

There will be concern that England lost their way and showed unsettling similar signs of some of their previous disappointments at major tournaments under Southgate, allowing Serbia to slowly creep into the game, but Guehi’s display alongside John Stones in defence was a major positive of the evening.

Without one of their Southgate stalwarts in Harry Maguire, the Crystal Palace centre back may have solved a problem position.

Here’s a look at the stats from yesterday’s match. England were the better side by most metrics having more possession, more touches in the box and, obviously, scoring more goals.

One football supporter was pictured with blood streaming down his face.

A Gelsenkirchen police spokesman told the BBC seven Serbian citizens were taken into custody.

How do you write about travelling England football fans, when each one you meet is polite and thoughtful, but you are already reading about clashes with foreign supporters on the day of the first England match? It is not easy to reconcile the two scenarios.

It is also worth noting that, according to German police on Sunday, only Serbian fans were arrested after an incident between their supporters and England’s in Gelsenkirchen. There is nothing to suggest that the English were responsible in that situation; seven Serbs were taken into custody, and one was accused of causing grievous bodily harm, leading to an ongoing investigation.

Serbia captain Aleksandar Mitrovic labelled Jude Bellingham one of the best players in the world following England’s 1-0 win yesterday.

Here he is giving his reaction to the match:

The England captain scored 44 goals in 45 appearances in his debut season for Bayern, earning the European Golden Shoe for finding the net 36 times in the Bundesliga.

And he feels he has got more respect now as a player who has flourished at one of the biggest clubs around, rather than just as the local boy who scored for Tottenham.

Bayern Munich ended a disappointing season without any silverware in what was a difficult opening campaign for the team. Harry Kane excelled from a personal point of view with 44 goals in 45 games for the German side but admits it was tough not to win anything.

“It was a really tough ending to the season,” Kane said. “The season as a whole didn’t go the way I wanted it to or the team wanted it to.

“I think whenever you have a tough loss or go out in a competition like that, for sure, there is a real hunger and desire that burns inside to make sure that the next time you get there or the next big competition, you have a different outcome. That’s the way I always look at it.

“There is always a chance to get better and to improve. Leaving that game away in Madrid, of course it hurt for a while but then you move on, you come away with the boys and your motivation is now onto the next one. There is a real hunger for that.”