Liverpool will have several of its players competing at Euro 2024 in Germany this summer. Many of the leading nations will have a Reds representative in their respective squads.
Gareth Southgate recently named an initial party of 33 players which includes Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Jarell Quansah. The quartet may not all make the cut — 26 men is the limit — but their inclusion is a positive reflection of how they performed for Liverpool in 2023/24.
Their club captain Virgil van Dijk has been at the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend and has spoken about England’s chances of winning the European Championship, among other things. He has been warning the Three Lions about who will stand between them and rare major tournament glory.
Van Dijk was quick to highlight the strength at Southgate’s disposal while also pointing out there are other good teams. “Ok yeah, listen, England is a very, very good team and squad and so many other teams are as well — France is very strong,” he said.
“But it will be interesting, I’m looking forward to that as well. It’s obviously (the) next goal, as we say in Holland, but hopefully we’ll have the Dutch fans and Orange army there supporting us,” Van Dijk added.
While Van Dijk’s opinion is obviously valid, England are the bookmakers’ favorite to win Euro 2024. An average of the odds from 27 different bookmakers implies that Southgate’s side has a 21.4 per cent chance of lifting the trophy in Berlin on July 14. This puts it ahead of Ibrahima Konaté’s France (17.7) and Germany (13.8), with the Liverpool captain’s Netherlands team joint-seventh (4.8).
He was also inevitably asked about whether Liverpool’s success would continue now that his countryman Arne Slot has replaced Jürgen Klopp. “Let’s hope so,” he said. “Obviously I have full trust in the club and the decisions going forward.”
“It’s exciting as well. Obviously change so always a bit unknown but I’ve got full confidence and I’m looking forward to the new season already,” said the Reds’ skipper. His more immediate priority will be Euro 2024, though, and a potential meeting with England in the knockout phase. Van Dijk and his fellow Dutch Reds will be gunning for the Three Lions.
Liverpool.com says: Van Dijk may not be English but he has followed football long enough to know that success and England have rarely gone together. While its squad looks very strong, many a good side has failed on the tournament stage in the past. Van Dijk was right to highlight France, whose pedigree at that level is far greater.
