Meet the heroes

Gareth Southgate

Matches in charge: 101

The 53-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable reign as England boss: managing at four major tournaments, reaching the 2018 World Cup semi-final, Euro 2020 final, 2022 World Cup quarter-final and now the Euro 2024 final.

Former defender Southgate, who won 57 caps for England between 1995 and 2004, has been involved in the England set-up since 2013, having managed the under-21s for three years prior to taking the top job.

There have been struggles along the way in his time as manager, with Southgate having been accused by supporters and media of being excessively conservative in his approach.

His record will endure longer than such criticism, and a crowning glory may be yet to come.

Southgate, who missed a decisive penalty for England in the Euro 96 semi-final against Germany, is bidding to become the first boss to lead an England men’s team to major tournament glory since Alf Ramsey in 1966.

Jordan Pickford

Club: Everton
Caps: 67 (0 goals)
Born: 7 March 1994, Washington, England
Debut: Germany on 10 November 2017

The Everton goalkeeper has taken a long road to the top of the game, building up first-team experience in the EFL and in non-league during the early years of his career.

Pickford was sent out on loan six times while at boyhood club Sunderland - playing for Darlington, Alfreton, Burton Albion, United, Bradford and Preston.

He then joined the Toffees in 2017 and his ascent continued as he made his England debut in November of that year, going on to become first-choice goalkeeper for England’s World Cup semi-final run in 2018.

He saved a penalty as England beat Colombia that year to win a World Cup penalty shootout for the first time, and saved two in the final of Euro 2020. His spot-kick save against Switzerland was crucial in the quarter-final shootout win at Euro 2024, too.

Dean Henderson

Club: Crystal Palace
Caps: 1 (0 goals)
Born: 12 March 1997, Whitehaven, England
Debut: Ireland on 12 November 2020 2020

Cumbria-born Henderson was talented as an outfield footballer as a boy - and he was a handy cricketer too. Quite wisely, though, he went down the goalkeeping route with Carlisle's academy.

He moved from Carlisle to Manchester United when he was 14 and had a string of loan spells - including helping Sheffield United to reach the Premier League in 2019.

After struggling to notch up first-team minutes in Manchester, he moved to Crystal Palace in 2023 and made 18 Premier League appearances last season.

Henderson has had to cope with being an England understudy, making just one appearance as Jordan Pickford has remained Southgate’s first choice.

Aaron Ramsdale

Club: Arsenal
Caps: 5 (0 goals)
Born: 14 May 1998, Chesterton, England
Debut: San Marino on 15 November 2021ember 2021

A benchwarmer of late for club and country, how Ramsdale must be desperate to pull on the gloves and make an impact.

He was a late addition to the England squad for Euro 2020 after Dean Henderson suffered an injury, and despite losing his regular first-team place at Arsenal finds himself at a tournament again this summer.

Prior to the last Euros, Ramsdale had caught the eye with Bournemouth and Sheffield United.

He has since spent three years at Arsenal but fell out of favour after they signed David Raya at the start of the 2023-24 season.

Ramsdale has also struggled for minutes while competing with Jordan Pickford at international level, making five England appearances so far.

Kyle Walker

Club: Manchester City
Caps: 89 (1 goal)
Born: 28 May 1990, Sheffield, England
Debut: Spain on 12 November 2011

Thriving in his mid-30s, Walker's pace and his passion for representing England make him a major asset to the Three Lions. The right-back has shown his adaptability by moving into a back three of late.

The boyhood Sheffield United fan came through the youth ranks at Bramall Lane and had his first taste of senior football in a loan spell at Northampton Town.

Walker's talent was swiftly spotted by Tottenham who signed him as a 19-year-old in 2009. Eight years later, and by then established with England, Walker cost £45m plus add-ons when he left Spurs for Manchester City.

At City, Walker has won an abundance of major trophies, including the Champions League and six Premier League titles.

He has been the second most used England player under Gareth Southgate, making 68 appearances..

Ezri Konsa

Club: Aston Villa
Caps: 7 (0 goals)
Born: 23 October 1997, London, England
Debut: Brazil on 23 March 2024

Centre-back Konsa started England's quarter-final against Switzerland as a deputy for the suspended Marc Guehi.

The Aston Villa defender began his football journey with Senrab FC - a club that also produced the likes of John Terry, Sol Campbell and Jermain Defoe.

After going through Charlton Athletic's ranks and then impressing with Brentford, he moved to Villa in 2019 and has established himself in the Premier League.

Konsa only made his England debut in March but is a player Gareth Southgate - a former Villa centre-back himself - has demonstrated trust in during this run in Germany.

Luke Shaw

Club: Manchester United
Caps: 33 (3 goals)
Born: 12 July 1995, Kingston-upon-Thames, England
Debut: Denmark on 5 March 2014 2021

Shaw was the unlikely scorer when England took an early lead in the Euro 2020 final against Italy. Now he could line up at left-back again as England look to block off Spain's dangerous wide players.

The Manchester United man has had to overcome challenging moments in his career, not least with injury threatening his place in this tournament.

Shaw joined United from Southampton in 2014, with the initial £27m fee making him then one of the world's most expensive teenage players, but his time at Old Trafford has not been smooth sailing.

He said he came close to losing a leg early in his United career because of blood clots following surgery. That scare came after he suffered a double leg fracture in a Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven.

Shaw recovered but endured a difficult time under Jose Mourinho, often facing criticism from the Portuguese during his time as United manager.

He has been sidelined with a muscle injury in recent months and did not feature in England's campaign in Germany until the closing stages of the win against Switzerland, before playing the full second half against the Netherlands.

Kieran Trippier

Club: Newcastle United
Caps: 54 (1 goal)
Born: 19 September 1990, Bury, England
Debut: France on 13 June 2017

Nicknamed 'The Bury Beckham' early in his career, Trippier idolised former England captain David Beckham, and it shows in his set-piece deliveries.

He scored a free-kick against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-final and remains a threat from such positions.

Recently, he has filled in on the left of defence at Euro 2024 while England waited for Shaw to get fit.

Starting his career at Manchester City, Trippier – like many England players – developed thanks to a spell in the English Football League, with Barnsley, before joining Burnley and then Tottenham.

He headed overseas in 2019 to join Atletico Madrid, and helped them beat Real Madrid and Barcelona to the La Liga title.

He came back strongly from a 10-week worldwide football ban for breaching Football Association betting rules and has been a key player for Newcastle over the past two and a half seasons.

His brother, Kelvin Lomax, also played professional football, mainly for Oldham.

Trippier has spoken of how he longed to follow in the footsteps of his sibling, whose modest career served as just as great an inspiration as the desire to bend in free-kicks like Beckham.

Joe Gomez

Club: Liverpool
Caps: 15 (0 goals)
Born: 23 May 1997, London, England
Debut: Germany on 10 November 2017

Gomez was playing under-18s football for Charlton Athletic when he was just 13 years old.

He signed a first professional deal on his 17th birthday and was rewarded with a move to Liverpool after an impressive debut season in which he made 21 Championship appearances.

His time at Liverpool has not been easy, though. Gomez has struggled with injuries and he spent 15 months on the sidelines with serious knee damage early in his Anfield career.

Regular action for Liverpool came his way in the 2023-24 season, featuring at both centre-back and full-back - leading to the England call.

John Stones

Club: Manchester City
Caps: 78 (3 goals)
Born: 28 May 1994, Barnsley, England
Debut: Peru on 29 May 2014

The 'Barnsley Beckenbauer', as his admirers have tagged him, has battled his way in from the fringes to become an important first-team figure for Manchester City and England.

Despite strong competition in defence, Stones played in all of England’s games at Euro 2020, and the absence through injury of Harry Maguire in Germany has made his presence even more important for the Three Lions over the past month.

Barnsley-born Stones also played in the 2016 Euros, 2018 World Cup and 2022 World Cup and has stacked up major trophies with City. Now he wants to add silverware with England.

Off the pitch, Stones has been praised for his charity and community work, with the Professional Footballers’ Association highlighting him in a 2014 report of the work done by footballers.

Stones, then at Everton, worked with young offenders, helped a student radio station, coached wheelchair and autistic teams, and took Easter eggs around a hospital's children's wards.

Lewis Dunk

Club: Brighton
Caps: 6 (0 goals)
Born: 21 November 1991, Brighton, England
Debut: USA on 15 November 2018mber 2018

Dunk is a big Chelsea fan - but, in his professional playing career he has been a faithful Brighton man.

He was initially at Wimbledon's academy but moved to Brighton's equivalent and has stayed at the club ever since. Loan spells at Bognor Regis and Bristol City - totalling just 10 appearances - are the only times he has played elsewhere.

Dunk helped Brighton get to the Premier League and has cemented himself as their captain.

He made his England debut in 2018, but spent four and a half years out of the team before returning in May 2023. Although he has yet to feature on the pitch at the Euros, he could still walk away a European champion.

Marc Guehi

Club: Crystal Palace
Caps: 16 (0 goals)
Born: 13 July 2000, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Debut: Switzerland on 16 March 2022ch 2022

Guehi has been one of England's shining lights at the Euros, impressing at the heart of defence.

The centre-back, who was born in Abidjan in Ivory Coast and moved to England as an infant, is captain of Crystal Palace.

Before moving to Palace for £18m in 2021, he learned his trade at Chelsea, rising through the academy ranks before turning professional. Guehi had a loan year at Swansea prior to Palace making their move.

He has spoken of the importance of religion in his life, with his father being a minister of a London church.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Club: Liverpool
Caps: 29 (3 goals)
Born: 7 October 1998, Liverpool, England
Debut: Costa Rica on 6 June 2018

Such is the adoration for Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool fans that a mural of him has been painted near Anfield.

He joined the club's academy at the age of six and has never left, progressing through the ranks and becoming a key member of the senior team.

Alexander-Arnold, who started Euro 2024 in midfield, played at the 2018 World Cup but had to withdraw from England's Euro 2020 squad with a thigh injury.

He has perhaps yet to consistently shine for England as he does for Liverpool, where his full-back displays have been so eye-catching. Yet his talent is such that an upturn in fortunes could still be around the corner.

Off the pitch, the man who scored the decisive kick as England beat Switzerland on penalties has set up an initiative called 'The After Academy' to help former academy footballers find work after leaving the game.

Declan Rice

Club: Arsenal
Caps: 57 (3 goals)
Born: 14 January 1999, London, England
Debut: Czech Republic on 22 March 2019

The tenacity of midfielder Rice was a significant factor in England’s impressive run at Euro 2020 and he has remained central to the growth of Southgate’s side.

Rice was released at the age of 14 by Chelsea, but as that door closed another opened at West Ham and his career soon took off.

Rice, who was born in London and has Irish grandparents, represented the Republic of Ireland through youth levels and made three senior appearances in friendlies for them in 2018 before switching allegiance to England.

Off the pitch, Rice is an ambassador for the Testicular Cancer Awareness charity DT38. He came into the Euros behind a strong first season at Arsenal - who splashed out £105m last summer to bring him to the Emirates from West Ham.

He has captained England in recent times, too, leading the team against Belgium in March on the night he won his 50th cap.

Adam Wharton

Club: Crystal Palace
Caps: 1 (0 goals)
Born: 5 February 2004, Blackburn, England
Debut: Bosnia-Herzegovina on 3 June 2024

It is not yet two years since Wharton made his first-team professional debut - for Blackburn against Hartlepool in the EFL Cup.

To be in with a shot of being a Euros winner shows what a remarkable rise it has been for the midfielder who stepped up to the Premier League with Crystal Palace in February of this year.

Wharton has looked like an old head on young shoulders since that Blackburn debut. He has the talent to pick passes others fail to see and the instinct for getting his team moving.

His impact at Palace was swift, with new manager Oliver Glasner making the 20-year-old a permanent fixture in his team, and Wharton earned England selection ahead of experienced heads Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips.

He has not been used in any of England's games in Germany, but the future looks bright regardless.

Kobbie Mainoo

Club: Manchester United
Caps: 8 (0 goals)
Born: 19 April 2005, Stockport, England
Debut: Brazil on 23 March 2024

Another ‘bolter’ who came from seemingly nowhere to make the cut, Mainoo will end the summer known across the continent after becoming a mainstay of England's XI.

A fine display on his first start against Belgium in March made him an option to partner Declan Rice at the Euros.

A man-of-the-match display in the FA Cup final in May then made him the favourite.

And the snappy curtailment of Gareth Southgate's Trent Alexander-Arnold midfield experiment made it a certainty that Mainoo would be thrust into action.

Progressive and impressive in possession once he did get into the team, Mainoo's maturity as a footballer has freed up Rice to play a touch higher. A regular pairing for years to come? Don't bet against it.

Conor Gallagher

Club: Chelsea
Caps: 18 (0 goals)
Born: 5 February 2000, Epsom, England
Debut: San Marino on 15 November 2021

First on against Serbia and Denmark, a starter but hooked at half-time against Slovenia, an extra-time appearance against Slovakia and a blink-and-you-missed-him sub showing against the Netherlands. That has been Gallagher's bits-and-pieces Euros so far.

The Chelsea player has been Southgate’s first port of call for extra legs and energy in midfield without looking like making a place in the starting XI his own.

Particularly at club level, Gallagher has shown great work-rate with an eye for goal, and he captained Chelsea frequently last term. That is a reflection of how highly Gallagher, still just 24, is regarded, and Southgate shares the admiration.

Gallagher comes from a footballing family - his three older brothers have all played at a decent non-league standard. level.

Jude Bellingham

Club: Real Madrid
Caps: 35 (5 goals)
Born: 29 June 2003, Stourbridge, England
Debut: Ireland on 12 November 2020

Some found Birmingham City’s decision to retire Jude Bellingham's shirt number when he left them in 2020 to be out of proportion.

But, following an excellent breakthrough with Borussia Dortmund and a £88.5m move to Real Madrid, he has shown the world that the hype was justified.

Bellingham is now a La Liga and Champions League winner with Real and it is hard to imagine England without the midfielder.

When he scored a stunning last-gasp overhead kick to equalise against Slovakia in the last 16, he mouthed "Who else?" during the celebrations. When asked who writes his scripts, his response was simple - "I do".

It has been a monumental ascent for the Stourbridge-born midfielder, and England's Euros final storyline could hinge on him.

Eberechi Eze

Club: Crystal Palace
Caps: 7 (0 goals)
Born: 29 June 1998, London, England
Debut: Malta on 16 June 2023

When Crystal Palace winger Eze found out he was on his way to Germany this summer, he probably didn't imagine he would spend quite so much time playing at left wing-back - but such are the vagaries of tournament football.

Eze came on in time to help England find late goals against Slovakia and Switzerland and defended manfully on more than one occasion.

After failing to make the grade at Arsenal, Fulham, Reading and Millwall, Eze eventually found his home at QPR - via a stunning loan spell with Wycombe - and soon became the most exciting player in the Championship.

Palace helped him make the leap to the Premier League in 2020 and although beset by injuries at times Eze has become just as exciting in the top flight.

Harry Kane

Club: Bayern Munich
Caps: 97 (66 goals)
Born: 28 July 1993, London, England
Debut: Lithuania on 27 March 2015

Widely regarded as one of the world's best strikers, and the finest English goalscorer of his generation, Kane has come a long way since his lower-league loan struggles and fight to earn a regular start at Tottenham.

Before making his breakthrough at Spurs, he went hunting for goals on loans at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich and Leicester, spanning three years.

After racking up three Premier League Golden Boots and one at the 2018 World Cup, Kane is now banging in the goals for Bayern Munich.

He left Tottenham as the club's record goalscorer, and has also jumped ahead of Wayne Rooney to top the England list.

Off the field, Kane has sponsored Leyton Orient’s matchday shirts to support three charities and played a role in #PlayersTogether, a fundraising initiative from Premier League players that raised funds for the NHS in the Covid-19 crisis.

Kane married his childhood sweetheart, Katie, in 2019.

The England captain wants to cap his goalscoring feats with a trophy - his career's theme, in a sense, after Spurs could not find their way to silverware - and it could come in Berlin on Sunday.

Ivan Toney

Club: Brentford
Caps: 5 (1 goal)
Born: 16 March 1996, Northampton, England
Debut: Ukraine on 16 March 2023

Few players have made more of an impact in a major tournament for England in as few minutes as Toney.

Sent on in the fourth minute of stoppage time as England trailed Slovakia in the last 16, he arrived on the pitch just in time to see Jude Bellingham's overhead kick send the game to extra time. Then, a minute into that added period, Toney headed across the box for Harry Kane to nod in the winner.

Against Switzerland in the quarter-final he replaced Kane in the 109th minute and delivered a trademark 'no-look' penalty to steer in the fourth successful kick of an immaculate England shootout.

Toney's contributions have repaid Gareth Southgate's faith. Banned from football for eight months for breaking gambling rules, the Brentford striker missed a large chunk of the 2023-24 season and could easily have been left at home this summer. Instead, he will hope for another chance to prove his worth to the manager on Sunday.

After starting his career at hometown club Northampton Town, the young Toney struggled to make an impact at the higher level when Newcastle came knocking in 2015.

However, a string of loans and a two-year stint at Peterborough turned him into a goal machine and Brentford's £10m acquisition has been money shrewdly spent.

Jarrod Bowen

Club: West Ham United
Caps: 10 (0 goals)
Born: 20 December 1996, Leominster, England
Debut: Hungary on 4 June 2022

Another member of the squad who learned his trade the hard way, Bowen's first career goal came for Hereford United against Alfreton Town.

As Hereford folded, the 17-year-old Bowen found his way to Hull City. It took him almost three years before he made an impact with the Tigers, but then he became a devastating force in the Championship, scoring 52 league goals in the next three seasons.

West Ham came calling in the January of 2020 and Bowen - whether on the wing or as a central striker - has gone from strength to strength, notably scoring the Hammers' winner in last year's Europa Conference League final.

Southgate was not short of wide attacking options for his Euros squad and chose Bowen ahead of the likes of Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford.

Yet to score for the Three Lions, his time on the pitch in Germany has been limited to cameos - but he did nearly create a goal against Serbia when his excellent cross was headed against the bar by captain Harry Kane.

To mark Bowen's inclusion in England's squad, a pub in Chelmsford has been temporarily renamed 'The Jarrod Bow Inn'.

Anthony Gordon

Club: Newcastle United
Caps: 4 (0 goals)
Born: 24 February 2001, Liverpool, England
Debut: Brazil on 23 March 2024

Gordon was the pick of many a pundit and supporter to come into the team and add spark after England's drab early performances, but he has stayed on the fringes.

Manager Gareth Southgate gave the Newcastle winger the briefest of run-outs in the 0-0 draw with Slovenia, sending him on in the 89th minute.

At this stage, it would be rather a surprise if he sees more action, with Cole Palmer and Eberechi Eze seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order, but there should be plenty of opportunity to see Gordon in an England shirt in the years to come.

He certainly shone for the England Under-21 side as they won their Euros in 2023, scoring twice and being named player of the tournament.

Ollie Watkins

Club: Aston Villa
Caps: 14 (4 goals)
Born: 30 December 1995, Torquay, England
Debut: San Marino on 25 March 2021

Watkins etched his name into English football history by scoring the goal that sent the Three Lions to the Euro 2024 final - and he is another whose route to the top began near the bottom.

The Torquay-born striker worked his way through the ranks of the EFL, starting close to home with Exeter City, who loaned him to Conference South side Weston-super-Mare for six months of the 2014-15 season.

Once Watkins began to score regularly in League Two for Exeter, he was quickly plucked by then-Championship side Brentford.

He was the Championship player of the year in 2020 and earned a move into the Premier League with Aston Villa.

Watkins has excelled at Villa, too, becoming a familiar face in the England squad.

Converting club form to the international stage has been beyond many a player. Reassuringly, as his brilliant strike against the Netherlands showed, Watkins is a man who may need just one half-chance to make a decisive difference in Sunday's final.

Cole Palmer

Club: Chelsea
Caps: 8 (1 goal)
Born: 6 May 2002, Manchester, England
Debut: Malta on 17 November 2023

Palmer is a childhood Manchester United fan and idolised Wayne Rooney growing up - but he got his footballing break at Manchester City.

Palmer made his debut for Pep Guardiola's side in 2020 but struggled to get regular starts at City, where the competition was fierce, and was snapped up by Chelsea early in the 2023-24 season.

He has surpassed even optimistic expectations since that move to west London, scoring 22 goals and registering 11 assists in 33 Premier League games.

Now Palmer is taking his Chelsea form into the England jersey, injecting pace, flair and urgency as a substitute, and it was his smart pass that gave Watkins the sniff of goal against the Netherlands that the striker needed.

Born in Wythenshawe, Palmer has Caribbean roots on his father's side, with his grandfather being from St Kitts and Nevis.

Bukayo Saka

Club: Arsenal
Caps: 39 (12 goals)
Born: 5 September 2001, London, England
Debut: Wales on 8 October 2020

Saka, whose equalising goal against Switzerland was a thing of power and beauty, also set up England's first goal of the tournament for Jude Bellingham. He has been a threat throughout down the right flank.

The Arsenal winger was subjected to horrendous racist abuse following a missed penalty in the Euro 2020 final shootout against Italy at Wembley.

Back then, Saka left the pitch in tears, but his supporters have always far outnumbered his critics.

At Arsenal, the nickname of 'Starboy' soon stuck to Saka - but he is a star man now and proving it on the biggest stages.

At Euro 2024, he has grown into the tournament, and his penalty in the shootout against Switzerland was a moment to savour. There is such joy in Saka's football, and now Gareth Southgate will expect him to rise again and meet the challenge of the final, the biggest match of his life.

Phil Foden

Club: Manchester City
Caps: 40 (4 goals)
Born: 28 May 2000, Stockport, England
Debut: Iceland on 5 September 2020

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was protective of Foden during the local boy's emergence as a teenager, well aware of the sublime raw talent he had on his hands. That thrilling potential is being realised.

The talented attacker came through City's academy and has stayed loyal to his club, with Guardiola carefully managing his involvement until there was no way he could leave him out.

Foden has helped City to their impressive trophy haul of recent years, and individual recognition came in May when he was named the Premier League player of the season.

Euro 2024 has been quite the ride for Foden. He went home during the group stage for the birth of his third child before returning to camp.

As well as his partner and children, Foden has another big love in his life - fishing.

A fixture in the team so far in Germany, all that he is missing is a goal - and the winner's medal he dearly hopes to hook on Sunday.

Bellingham ready for biggest stage

BBC Sport looks at the rise of Jude Bellingham ahead of the Euros final.

Euro 2024 Stadiums

A guide to the stadiums hosting the games, featuring the final venue The Olympiastadion in Berlin.