What Gary Lineker told England player in private chat after Euro 2024 final defeat speaks volumes

Gary Lineker has revealed what he told one England star after the final of Euro 2024.

On Sunday night, in front of a packed crowd inside the Olympiastadion in Berlin, England failed to end their long trophy drought as they fell to a disappointing defeat against Spain.

Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal were the heroes for Spain as their goals sealed a 2-1 victory. Second-half substitute Cole Palmer was the scorer for England.

After the match, former England striker Lineker revealed on the Rest is Football podcast that he spoke to Anthony Gordon.

The Match of the Day presenter said: “I saw Anthony Gordon after the game. I said to him briefly, 'I feel for you in this tournament. I think you should have got more minutes’.

“He was very kind and I went, 'But don't worry. You will get more chances. It will happen for you.' He's very young.”

Speaking on ITV, former Three Lions and Manchester United defender Gary Neville also felt Gordon should have been brought on.

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He said: “I just felt we needed Anthony Gordon and Watkins up top. We were being pushed back deep by a fantastic Spanish team and when you're playing deep, you have to counter-attack and we almost had a counter-attacking strategy without a counter-attacking team and that's what I said at half-time.

“I felt Gordon should come on. I felt that [Bukayo] Saka, Gordon and Watkins were the actual right three front players for us to be able to travel from box to box and have people who could carry the ball with pace and connect as quickly as possible to that front man.”

Speaking about Gareth Southgate, Lineker added: “I think he’s been the right person to bring the nation together in terms of the football team.

“And, now, maybe it’s time for someone else with a more modern, attacking style of football. Because I think the game’s gone away from being successful if you’re really defensive.”