England’s previous meetings with Slovakia will forever be etched into the former’s history, largely thanks to it being Sam Allardyce’s only game in charge of the Three Lions. On that day, the likes of Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana and Wayne Rooney oversaw a 1–0 win – but the two have locked horns since. Back in 2017, in Gareth Southgate’s 10th game in charge, England beat Slovakia 2–1 thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford and Eric Dier.
Fast-forward seven years and in the Three Lions’ Round of 16 fixture at Euro 2024, the two meet again. Ahead of what is considered to be a fixture that could make or break England’s venture in Germany, let’s take a look at Southgate’s line-up from when the two last met. Interestingly, only two of England’s Euro 2024 26-man squad were present with the likes of Phil Jones, Ryan Bertrand and Gary Cahill making up the majority of the back line.
England’s Last XI To Face Slovakia – What Happened? | ||
|---|---|---|
Position | Name | Where are they now? |
GK | Joe Hart | BBC pundit |
RB | Kyle Walker | Manchester City |
CB | Phil Jones | Without a club |
CB | Gary Cahill | Retired |
LB | Ryan Bertrand | Retired |
CM | Eric Dier | Bayern Munich |
CM | Jordan Henderson | Ajax |
CAM | Dele Alli | Free agent |
RW | Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | Besiktas |
ST | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich |
LW | Marcus Rashford | Manchester United |
Goalkeeper and Defence
Joe Hart, Kyle Walker, Phil Jones, Gary Cahill, Ryan Bertrand
Jordan Pickford is currently the nation’s undisputed number one choice in the goalmouth – but it was former Manchester City shot-stopper, Joe Hart, who was the man in between the sticks for Southgate. Now retired, the former glovesman has turned his hand to punditry with the BBC, much like plenty of other ex-professionals.
One of the remaining survivors from that night at Wembley, Kyle Walker, will most likely be stationed on the right-hand side of England’s defence for the next couple of years, with him still a mainstay in the Manchester City back line. The likes of Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James of Chelsea have tried to pip the speedster but have failed to do so thus far.
Phil Jones and Gary Cahill formed a two-man partnership in the heart of defence but were unable to keep a clean sheet on the night, with Napoli ace Stanislav Lobotka scoring in the 3rd minute of regulation time. The former has left Manchester United with his retirement not officially announced, while the latter hung up his boots in November 2022.
On the opposite flank to Walker was one-time Champions League winner Ryan Bertrand. The London-born star, who has now retired at the age of 34, amassed just 19 appearances for his nation, highlighting England’s host of full-back options.
Midfield
Jordan Henderson, Eric Dier, Dele Alli
Nowadays, Southgate has a plethora of midfield talent at his disposal, with the likes of Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham all turning out for the 1966 World Cup champions – but the 53-year-old custodian has not always had the same pleasure of boasting such a host of talent.
Jordan Henderson, who many believe is one of Southgate’s favourites, has not been picked for this year’s tournament but established himself as a mainstay in recent times. The former Liverpool man, widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders to grace the Anfield grass, is an 81-cap England international but might be at the latter stage of his career with the Three Lions given that after a tepid stint at Al-Ettifaq, he is plying his trade for Ajax.
Partnering Henderson as the midfield double pivot was Eric Dier – the man who drew England level on the night. His 37th-minute goal gave Southgate and Co a glimmer of hope, which was exactly what they needed to kick-start their comeback. Previously viewed as an outside shout for the Euro 2024 squad, Dier has been given the opportunity to revitalise his career at Bayern Munich after falling out of favour at Tottenham.
Ahead of them was Dele Alli, who is considered to be one of the best Premier League stars who are currently out of contract. At that time, the Milton Keynes Dons academy graduate had the world at his feet – but now, after a torrid few years, the career of the 37-cap international has dwindled into obscurity. His Everton contract has expired but what lies ahead remains unknown.
Attack
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford
Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka are now the standout options for Southgate to play on the left and right wing, respectively. Foden’s ability to perform to his typical heights on the flank have been persistently questioned – but back in the day, Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford was the first choice man on the left.
Wythenshawe-born Rashford, who is viewed as one of the best players left out of the most recent England squad, completed the 2-1 comeback back in 2017 with a well-taken strike in the 59th minute, with him in the embryonic stages of his international career. Danny Welbeck replaced him in the 84th minute. He still plays for his boyhood club amid worries over his future.
None other than Harry Kane, one of the best players at this summer’s tournament, Euro 2024, led the line through the middle – and as long as he keeps performing at the ungodly levels that he did at club level in 2024/25, the former Tottenham Hotspur marksman will continue to be Southgate’s go-to centre forward. Now at Bayern Munich, the natural-born goalscorer is one of the best strikers in world football.
With respect, Saka is a huge upgrade on who Southgate stationed on the right wing back in 2017. Formerly of Arsenal and Liverpool, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the man trusted with supplying Kane. A one-time Premier League and Champions League winner, the Englishman left the Reds for Turkish club Besiktas in the summer of 2023.