Euro 2024 surprise picks: England, Scotland, France and more

The final squads for the 2024 European Championship in Germany have been confirmed and several managers have made some surprising selections. Most bosses named extended squads in the run-up to the tournament before whittling the list down to the 26 players who will represent their respective nations this summer. England are at the head of … Continue reading Euro 2024 surprise picks: England, Scotland, France and more →

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The final squads for the 2024 European Championship in Germany have been confirmed and several managers have made some surprising selections.

Most bosses named extended squads in the run-up to the tournament before whittling the list down to the 26 players who will represent their respective nations this summer.

England are at the head of the list of surprise picks, with the make-up of Gareth Southgate’s final squad fairly different from what most pundits predicted.

France and Spain have also made some baffling selections, further adding to the intrigue of what promises to be a fascinating summer festival of football.

Read on as we take a look at some of the surprise picks for Euro 2024, starting with a player who has burst onto the scene in spectacular fashion this year.

Adam Wharton – England

After impressing with Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, Adam Wharton has showcased his talent since joining Crystal Palace in the January transfer window.

Very few people expected England manager Gareth Southgate to pick Wharton but his impressive cameo in a friendly against Bosnia & Herzegovina was too good to ignore.

The only question remaining is whether Southgate will be brave enough to start the 20-year-old or continue playing full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold out of position.

Wharton has the ability to control the midfield tempo like no other player in the squad. If Southgate backs him, England’s Euro odds 2024 of 333/100 could look generous.

Lewis Morgan – Scotland

Scotland manager Steve Clarke raised a few eyebrows when he called up New York Red Bulls forward Lewis Morgan to his squad.

The 27-year-old previously failed to make his mark with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, before embarking on an underwhelming loan spell with Sunderland.

He then switched to Major League Soccer with Inter Miami and has spent the past three seasons with the Red Bulls.

Morgan last played for the national team in 2018 and his inclusion in the squad highlights the dearth of attacking talent available to Scotland.

N’Golo Kante – France

World Cup winner N’Golo Kante’s recall by France for Euro 2024 is one of the most surprising decisions taken by any of the managers at the tournament.

The 33-year-old last represented his country in June 2022 and has subsequently left European football to play for Saudi Pro League (SPL) club Al-Ittihad.

Manager Didier Deschamps believes his experience will be invaluable in Germany, but there is a world of difference between the SPL and international football.

France have numerous other talented midfielders at their disposal so it will be intriguing to see how Deschamps utilises Kante during the tournament.

Marc Cucurella – Spain

Spain must have a limited number of options at left-back if Marc Cucurella is deemed to be one of the best two players for them in that position.

Cucurella has been largely underwhelming for Chelsea since joining them from Brighton & Hove Albion, yet has still received a Euro 2024 call-up.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Alex Grimaldo is expected to be the starting left-back for Spain, which should ensure Cucurella’s playing time is limited.

If Grimaldo sustains an injury, opposing teams will undoubtedly be eyeing Spain’s left flank as a glaring weak spot in their defensive set-up.

Eberechi Eze – England

Palace star Eberechi Eze is not only a decent score at Scrabble, he is also one of England’s most promising young attacking talents.

His selection ahead of Jack Grealish and James Maddison has sparked plenty of debate, but is probably justified given their respective performances this season.

Eze was excellent in the friendly victory over Bosnia, and was not given enough time to make an impact off the bench in the dismal defeat against Iceland.

The 25-year-old could be a game-changer for England this summer, but Southgate’s cautious nature means he will likely be restricted to a bit-part role.

Davide Frattesi – Italy

Davide Frattesi spent a significant portion of the season watching from the sidelines, with Inter Milan manager Simeone Inzaghi preferring to use him as an impact substitute.

The midfielder started just six Serie A matches this term, so there is no danger of him suffering from burnout when he represents Italy this summer.

Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were generally preferred ahead of Frattesi, but he did reasonably well when called upon by Inzaghi.

Frattesi is a key player in Luciano Spalletti’s tactical plans and will need to perform at his best if Italy are to have any chance of retaining the Euro title.

Randal Kolo Muani – France

Not content with surprising everyone by picking Kante for France, Deschamps doubled down by including Randal Kolo Muani in his squad.

Kolo Muani has struggled for playing time and form with Paris Saint-Germain, and had been widely tipped to miss out on the tournament this summer.

He scored just six goals in 26 league appearances this season – a poor return given that PSG create chances for fun in the French top flight.

Kolo Muani’s tally of four goals in 16 outings for France is also unimpressive. He is extremely fortunate to be in their squad this summer.

Jesus Navas – Spain

Pedro Porro will not represent Spain at Euro 2024 despite excelling in Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur team this season.

After playing for his country in a friendly against Colombia in late March, the 24-year-old appeared to be in pole position to be called up this summer.

However, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has overlooked Porro in favour of Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal and Jesus Navas of Sevilla.

While Carvajal’s place in the squad cannot be disputed, it is tough to see why Navas has been favoured ahead of the Tottenham full-back.

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