The Euro 2020 roller coaster is over and it was memorable for England for all sorts of reasons.
Gareth Southgate’s men made it all the way to the final – their first time there since 1966 – giving fans one of the most memorable summers they’ve ever seen. It may not have ended well, but the overwhelming feeling is positive.
Let us rate each player’s performance.
Pickford was outstanding / Visionhaus / Getty Images
Pickford did not concede a goal until the semi-finals and was a driving force behind England’s success.
He made some excellent saves and looked like a real leader at the back, blossoming into the kind of player that fans always wanted him to be.
Ramsdale was on the outskirts / Marc Atkins / Getty Images
There were no minutes for Ramsdale, who spent a game out of the squad before finishing the tournament on the bench.
Johnstone spent the entire summer on the bench / Pool / Getty Images
Like Ramsdale, we saw none of Johnstone this summer.
A tournament to remember for Maguire / Alessandra Tarantino – Pool / Getty Images
Southgate took a huge risk by appointing Maguire to their squad, but the game gave absolute results.
After returning to the line-up for the last group match against the Czech Republic, Maguire looked as if he had not missed a shot. He was dominant at both ends of the field and looked like one of the best midfielders in Europe. A place in the tournament team was well deserved.
Stones continues to build its reputation / Carl Recine – Pool / Getty Images
The Stones took a bit of a back seat to Maguire during the majority of the tournament, but there is nothing wrong with that. He was England’s second midfielder and did his job incredibly well.
Just 12 months ago, the idea that the Stones would keep five straight clean sheets in euros was laughable. Now it’s reality.
Mings did his job admirably / Chris Brunskill / Fantasista / Getty Images
Mings knew he was always just a stand-in for Maguire, but he did his job admirably during the first two games and made important blocks in both.
We have also supported his rating somewhat to body Priti Patel on Twitter after the final. You love to see it.
There were no minutes for White / Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
This tournament will have been a valuable experience for White, who always knew his chances of playing were slim.
Coady impressed behind the scenes / Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
Another player to see zero minutes, Coady still managed to increase his reputation with an important locker room role that saw Steve Holland appoint him “Player of the Tournament”.
Shaw looked like a real star / Visionhaus / Getty Images
Shaw was glued to the bench for the first game, with Southgate preferring to go with an out-of-position Kieran Trippier, but the boss’s eyes were opened shortly after.
Back in for match two, Shaw exclaimed, spending the rest of the tournament as the best player on the team. His championship class against Ukraine in the quarterfinals will live long in the memory.
Chilwell Held on the Bench / Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
Due to Shaw’s brilliance and Trippier’s versatility, Chilwell spent most of the tournament outside the match day squad.
Walker looked good eventually / Marc Atkins / Getty Images
It was a slow start to the tournament for Walker, who smelled it at Wembley in the opening match against Croatia. He was dropped from the squad for the Scotland game but calculated himself when he returned.
Spent his time switching between right-back and center-back, Walker proved his worth to England with some excellent performances, including a show-stealing effort against Denmark.
Trippier did his job well / Robin Jones / Getty Images
In the same way as convincingly early, Trippier was bad against Croatia and then did not participate during the rest of the group game. He spent the rest of the tournament as a reserve and only came in when Southgate went to 3-4-3.
Fortunately for Trippier, he was excellent in that attitude. He was dominant against Germany and hit assists for Shaw’s goal in the final. A solid shift for the Atletico man.
James played limited minutes / Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
James only played once this summer, and this trip happens to be in England’s worst performance, 0-0 draw with Scotland.
James did nothing wrong, but he did not do enough to force himself ahead of Trippier or Walker in the breeding order.
Rice was massive on the biggest stage / Eurasia Sport Images / Getty Images
If you want to know why West Ham value Rice so highly, check out his highlights package from the summer.
The 22-year-old was dominant against Denmark and one of England’s brightest sparks against Italy. He is England’s starting anchor, without a doubt.
Phillips was fantastic against Croatia / Marc Atkins / Getty Images
Phillips almost fell victim to his own fantastic performance against Croatia in the opening game. He was absolutely sublime in that match but did not always maintain that level.
This is not to say that Phillips was bad – far from it. He fully deserved his place as an undisputed start, but the only minor drawback was his struggles to match the dominance of his first outing.
Henderson did not start a game / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images
Henderson did not start a match this summer, and that is due to a combination of factors. He suffered an injury during the build-up, but also could not do enough to force himself past Rice or Phillips.
As a player, he definitely did his job. He helped close matches and even kept his first international goal against Ukraine. A summer to remember – even if it could have been so much better.
Bellingham was temporarily the youngest player in Euro history / Lars Baron / Getty Images
Bellingham had their moment in the spotlight and held the record for the youngest player in Euro history for a few days before Kacper Kozlowski took it from him.
The teenager only managed to make a few appearances at the end of the matches, so we did not get to see as much of his as we would have liked.
Mount’s significance for England was clear / Visionhaus / Getty Images
Despite a COVID-forced blip early on, Mount was in line for a higher degree before a frustrating performance in the final.
He shone in the knockouts, took an assist against Ukraine and picked Denmark in the semifinals, but Italy’s midfield was a little too much for him.
Sterling was the star of England / John Sibley – Pool / Getty Images
After an overwhelming season with Manchester City, Sterling stole the show at Euro 2020 with fantastic performance after fantastic performance.
Had England won the final, he would easily have won the Player of the Tournament.
Rashford had tough weeks / Paul Ellis – Pool / Getty Images
Fitness battles meant that Rashford should probably have stayed home this summer. He was not healthy enough to begin with and only received short showers from the bench.
Rashford did not do much in his limited minutes, and he came short in the final when he sent his penalty crash at the post. A few tricky weeks ahead.
Foot Tournament Run Out / Andy Rain – Pool / Getty Images
Copying Gazza’s hairstyle was a bold cry from Foden, and it did not work out.
He almost scored with his first shot of the tournament but saw his commitment peter slowly after that. He started the first two group matches and then watched only 25 minutes from the bench against Denmark, which was admittedly quite solid. Just not enough.
Grealish was a fan favorite / Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
If Grealish doubts how much he is loved by English fans before the tournament, he will be well aware of his fame now.
He had to settle for a limited role, but Grealish caused a deafening noise just by standing up to warm up. He had good matches against the Czech Republic and Germany but will have wanted more minutes.
Sancho saw his protocols limited / Eurasia Sport Images / Getty Images
With a £ 73 million move to Manchester United in the background, it is safe to say that most expected a little more from Sancho this summer.
The wing made only three appearances, two of which totaled seven minutes, and he also missed a penalty in the final. Sancho excelled in his only real opportunity against Ukraine, but that was all we got from him.
Saka was a revelation / Facundo Arrizabalaga – Pool / Getty Images
After receiving the nod for the last group game, Saka did not look back.
The 19-year-old was superb against the Czechs and Germany, and after putting out the quarterfinals through injury, he did a solid job in the semifinals. A missed penalty in the final should not detract from his success.
Kane took a while to get started / Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Kane’s final score is dragged down by an abysmal start to the tournament that saw him do almost nothing in the group stage. Amid rumors of a £ 150m transfer to City, it is safe to say that Kane was a bit overwhelming.
Fortunately, he recovered in the knockout stages and scored four goals in three games to help England through to the final, where he was as overwhelming as the rest of his colleague going forward.
Calvert-Lewin fought in minutes / Chris Brunskill / Fantasista / Getty Images
Calvert-Lewin played a predictably small role behind Kane and was limited to just 18 minutes over two games.
The Everton man was also left out of the squad for two of the four knockout games, with Southgate making it clear he was only there to make up for the numbers.
In addition, he was exposed to being terrible at darts.
