- England will face Slovakia in the round of 16 at Euro 2024 on Sunday evening
- Gary Neville thinks that manager Gareth Southgate should make three changes
- LISTEN to It’s All Kicking Off! EUROS DAILY: All the reasons England fans have to be positive going into the last 16
Gary Neville has said that he would make three changes to England’s starting XI for Sunday’s Euro 2024 round of 16 clash with Slovakia if he was in charge.
England manager Gareth Southgate has so far been reluctant to make multiple alterations this summer.
The same 11 players that started in the 1-0 win over Serbia also began the 1-1 draw with Denmark.
Southgate then made just one change for the 0-0 draw against Slovenia as he dropped Trent Alexander-Arnold from his midfield and brought in Conor Gallagher.
But Neville – who won 85 senior international caps for the Three Lions between 1995 and 2007 – thinks it is now time to shake things up further.
Neville revealed his proposed team to face Slovakia in an episode of his podcast, The Overlap, on Friday night.
One of the changes was in Neville’s old position of right back, where he thinks Southgate should play Alexander-Arnold instead of Kyle Walker.
Neville would move Walker to left back, which would see Newcastle captain Kieran Trippier drop out of the side.
Left back has been a problem position for England this summer because the only natural No 3 player in Southgate’s squad is Luke Shaw, who has not been involved in a competitive game since February due to a hamstring injury.
In midfield, Neville would like Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo to replace Gallagher and play alongside Declan Rice.
Further forward, Neville’s final proposed change was to start Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer instead of Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka.
Discussing his picks with podcast guests Roy Keane, Ian Wright and Jill Scott, Neville said: ‘Mainoo’s got to come in, Mainoo’s in. He’s got to come in. Mainoo comes in and Trent comes in. Then I’ve got to find a way for Palmer to come in, I think.’
Neville then toyed with the idea of bringing Palmer in for Jude Bellingham, claiming that ‘something is not right’ with the Real Madrid midfielder right now.
However, he ultimately decided that dropping Saka to the bench would be a better decision.
Neville explained: ‘Trent gives us a better use of the ball from the back and gives us some sort of a threat with his assists and set-pieces. Mainoo gets us playing. We saw that the other night [when he came off the bench].
‘Then I think Palmer at the moment… I would have started [Phil] Foden, Bellingham and Saka, 100 per cent, with [Harry] Kane [at the start of the tournament]. They are the front four that everyone would have chosen.
‘But Palmer’s looked so effortless. He just looks like he’s got that little bit of something. I’m uncomfortable with any of them being left out. I don’t know which it would need to be, maybe Saka. I’m uncomfortable leaving Saka out just purely because he’s a brilliant player as well.’
After listening to the opinions of his fellow panelists – including Arsenal legend Wright, who disagreed about the idea of taking Saka out of the starting team – Neville reluctantly confirmed his choice.
‘I think I’d probably bring him (Palmer) in for Saka and I love Saka to bits,’ Neville concluded.