Best players: Ones to watch from England, Wales and Scotland at Euro 2020

European Championship trophy.Image source, Dan Istitene

It's coming home... Literally! With the football club season nearly over, attention turns to the rearranged European Championships with three UK nations in action.

England, Scotland and Wales have all qualified for Euro 2020, which is being played a year later than planned because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The tournament, originally scheduled to take place from 12 June to 12 July last summer, will now run from 11 June to 11 July this year.

There are 24 teams involved and 51 matches in 11 host cities across Europe, including Scotland's Hampden Park in Glasgow and England's Wembley Stadium in London - which will host all of England's group games, as well as the semi-finals and final.

It's still undecided if supporters from other countries will be allowed to attend games because of the pandemic. Uefa says all the venues hosting the tournament will allow fans to go to matches.

Wembley has confirmed a minimum capacity of 25 percent for the first three group matches and a round of 16 match. Meanwhile the Scottish government has given approval for 12,000 supporters - close to 25 percent of Hampden Park's capacity.

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Image caption,

Wembley Stadium in London will host all of England's group games, as well as the semi-finals and final

Squads

The coronavirus pandemic has meant a packed season so for the Euros, teams are allowed to select three more players than usual, meaning sides will have a 26-player squad instead of the usual 23. It'll also help managers if players have to isolate during the tournament.

It's also an opportunity for players who are on the fringes of each national team squad to be included.

A rule allowing each team to make up to five substitutes per game has been confirmed too.

Scotland

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Scotland joined England and Wales in qualifying for Euro 2020, thanks to a dramatic penalty shootout win against Serbia in their qualifying play-off final. The result meant Scotland qualified for a men's major international tournament for the first time in 23 years.

Players to look out for in the Tartan Army squad are Premier League regulars, including full-backs Andy Robertson (Liverpool) and Kieran Tierney (Arsenal) and central midfielder, Scott McTominay (Man Utd).

Meanwhile the larger squad could also see call-ups for talented young players such as Chelsea's 19-year-old midfielder, Billy Gilmour.

Games:

  • Monday 14 June: Scotland v Czech Republic (Hampden Park)

  • Friday 18 June: England v Scotland (Wembley)

  • Tuesday 22 June: Croatia v Scotland (Hampden Park)

Wales

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Wales, who reached the semi-finals of the competition in 2016, are in Group A. They will play in Rome against Italy and in Azerbaijan where they will face Turkey and Switzerland.

Gareth Bale is still Wales' star player, on-loan at Tottenham from Real Madrid, in recent years the forward has played his best football at international level.

Welsh fans will be hoping he can inspire a young team to a success similar to the tournament five years ago.

Other players to look out for are Juventus' experienced midfielder Aaron Ramsey along with younger players; Ethan Ampadu (Sheffield United), Joe Rodon (Tottenham Hotspur), Daniel James (Man Utd) and Harry Wilson (Liverpool) who have never played at a major international tournament before.

Games:

  • Saturday 12 June: Wales v Switzerland (Baku)

  • Wednesday 16 June: Turkey v Wales (Baku)

  • Sunday 20 June: Italy v Wales (Rome)

England

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World Cup 2018 semi-finalists, England will be hoping to go one better at the European Championships.

The Three Lions tournament begins against World Cup rivals Croatia in a repeat of the 2018 World Cup semi-final that they lost.

At the Euros England will have the advantage of hosting all three of their group games at Wembley.

England are in pretty good shape in terms of the players that manager Gareth Southgate has to choose from. Stars include captain, Harry Kane - the premier League's top scorer with over 20 goals and more than ten assists for Tottenham.

Wingers Raheem Sterling (Man City), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) and Marcus Rashford (Man Utd) are all likely to be included in the squad too.

Phil Foden has had a brilliant season for Champions League finalists Manchester City and has probably benefitted from the tournament being delayed by a year because, at 20, he's had another year of development.

Meanwhile Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish will hope to be fit and included along with Manchester United's Mason Greenwood who is on the fringes of the England team and will hope that a larger squad will mean he is also selected.

Games:

  • Sunday 13 June: England v Croatia (Wembley)

  • Friday 18 June: England v Scotland (Wembley)

  • Tuesday 22 June: Czech Republic v England (Wembley)

Group qualification

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Image caption,

Euro 2020 games will be played across several European capital cities including London, Glasgow and Rome, where the trophy is pictured here in front of the Roman Colosseum in the Italian capital

For both England and Scotland the scenarios for qualifying to the next round are the same. Win the group and either team will face a last-16 tie in London against the runners-up in Group F - Germany, World Cup winners France, Euro 2016 winners Portugal or Hungary.

Finishing second would take England or Scotland to Copenhagen against the runners-up from Group E - Spain, Poland, Sweden or Slovakia.

For Wales, if they win their group they will face the runners-up of Group C, either Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, Georgia or North Macedonia.

Finishing second will mean facing the runners-up of Group B, either Denmark, Finland, world number one ranked team Belgium or Russia.

Are you looking forward to Euro 2020? If so which team are you supporting? Let us know in the comments.