- The Overlap hosts pick a England-Spain combined XI ahead of the Euros final
- More obvious choices in Kane and Rodri make the team, but who is a surprise?
- LISTEN to It’s All Kicking Off! EUROS DAILY: What moment changed the Euros for England?
Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Jill Scott and Ian Wright gave their verdict on their combined England-Spain XI, ahead of Sunday’s Euro 2024 final.
On the Overlap’s final episode of their Stick to Football Euro 2024 Special, brought to you by Sky Bet, hosts reached a conclusion on their combined XI for European Championship final.
But it wasn’t easy for the four ex-players, who had some tough decisions to make across the pitch in all positions.
With Spain the bookies’ favourite for the trophy, and having been the stand-out team of the tournament so far, Neville opened up the debate by asking ‘which England players would get into Spain’s team?’
Speaking on Stick to Football, the four started with their pick between goalies Jordan Pickford and Unai Simon Wright began, saying he’d probably ‘keep the Spanish keeper’, before seemingly walking back his choice in favour of England’s No 1.
‘I’d probably go Pickford at international level,’ Wright said, as Keane offered, ‘there’s not much in it.’
Moving onto defence, the four swiftly agreed on Kyle Walker over Dani Carvajal at right-back (but only just) and Marc Cucurella over Kieran Trippier at left back – a straightforward pick, given the Spaniard’s form at the tournament, while Trippier plays out of position.
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John Stones made the first of the four’s centre-back pairing, a unanimous choice over Real Sociedad’s Robin Le Normand.
Aymeric Laporte joins him over England and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi – but not without some contention, with Jill Scott noting the international debutant has had an excellent tournament so far.
Centre midfield proved to be a harder decision to make, with an all-Spanish pairing of Rodri and Fabian Ruiz, pipping Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo – another English youngster who’s made their international debut at the Euros.
‘I love both, I love the English ones,’ Neville said, before concluding, ‘but on form you’d have to pick the Spanish players’.
Wright tentatively disagreed, saying he’d ‘love to see’ a Rodri-Rice pairing hold down the centre of the pitch.
Keane chastised him, saying ‘you love Fabian Ruiz!’, with Wright eventually conceding to an all-Spanish central midfield.
But it was the forward line that threw-up some of the biggest selection picks, with the co-hosts agreeing on an all-English attack.
Bukayo Saka made right wing over the tournament’s breakout player Lamine Yamal; Phil Foden gets the nod over Spanish starlet Nico Williams on the left, and Jude Bellingham takes the place of Dani Olmos as the No. 10.
‘Sorry, the way he’s played this tournament, I’m not putting anyone in over Saka’ Wright said firmly, before Keane shook his hand, saying, ‘I’m with you there, pal.’
‘Can we not take them both?’ Scott asked, hopefully.
England captain Harry Kane, meanwhile, is perhaps the panel’s easy selection along with Rodri, as they place him up-front over Spanish captain, Alvaro Morata. ‘No chance of Morata,’ Wright added.
So a unanimous decision on a combined XI was reached, with Gary Neville finally asking what the tally of England players made the squad.
It may be six-to-five in England’s favour, but Ian Wright probably summed-up the group’s feeling, saying he didn’t want to know.
‘I don’t care, I don’t care,’ he responded, dismissively. ‘That was really hard work.’
To watch the final episode of Stick to Football: The Overlap Special, fans can tune in to ITV1 & ITV X or watch it on The Overlap YouTube channel.