Ince piles pressure on Gareth Southgate’s England after 2016 Euros heartache

Paul Ince reckons the Euros will be the acid test of how far England have progressed since the World Cup under Gareth Southgate.

Southgate led his Three Lions to the semi finals in Russia in 2018, before losing to Croatia in Moscow.

England will start this summer's tournament as one of the favourites, along with France, Belgium and Portugal.

Former England and Manchester United ace Ince believes the coming weeks will show if Southgate's men have what it takes to go a step further and win something.

Ince, speaking as part of his role as an ambassador for Paddy Power, said: "The Euros will tell us how England have progressed since 2018, when they lost to Croatia in the semi-final of the World Cup. Have we moved forward?

"We've got so much talent in attack and there's no outstanding team in the tournament, no one you look at and say, 'they're going to win it, they're the favourites'.

"We know France and Belgium are strong, and if we get to the last 16 there's a chance we’ll be playing the Germans – and we know how efficient they are when it comes to tournament play, even though they've not been great recently.

"There's a long journey to go, but I'm excited about seeing how we cope with it and how we progress."

Ince, who was part of the England side that reached the last four of Euro 96 on home soil, reckons Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson remains a crucial part of Southgate's plans.

Henderson missed the last three months of the season following a groin operation, but Ince added: "It will be intriguing to see which way Gareth goes regarding the holding midfield players.

"Jordan Henderson's not played for three months, but he's so important. You look for leaders on the pitch and he's one.

"We've seen what he's done at Liverpool, winning the title and the Champions League, we've seen the way he drives his players on. Not having him for three months was a blow, and you have to wonder how fit he's going to be."

Paul Ince is a EURO 2020 ambassador for Paddy Power, who is encouraging punters to change bookmaker as part of its ‘Switch for Better’ campaign. Switching to Paddy will secure a free £5 Bet Builder for every England group game. For more details, visit the Paddy Power website.

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