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Gareth Southgate has been pleased by England’s progress during an unbeaten 2023 but knows there is work to do as the team tries to win the European Championship. The Euro 2020 runners-up are among the favourites to win in Germany next summer but seemed to lose their edge after sealing qualification with two matches to spare. Friday’s uninspiring 2-0 Wembley win against minnows Malta was followed three days later by an underwhelming 1-1 draw in North Macedonia as the curtain came down on an undefeated year. November’s double-header will not live long in the memory but Southgate has “learned a lot” from the fixtures, with attention now intensifying on his fourth – and possibly final – major tournament in the dugout. “We wanted to look at a few different things as well, so we’ve managed to learn from the game as well as the result,” the England boss said in Skopje. “I have to be pleased with the progress of the team. You know, if you’d said at the start of the campaign that we would be eight wins, two draws at the end of the year, it’s a pretty good record given the fixtures that we’ve had. “(North Macedonia) was always a game where we knew if you’d needed to come here for that point to qualify would be a very difficult place to come. They took the draw from Italy as well, so credit to North Macedonia for that. “We can now start to look forward. We’ve got these two exciting games in March to look forward to and prepare for. “So, yeah, I think we’ve done a lot of things well, but there’s always room for improvement.” March’s home friendlies against Brazil and Belgium will provide much-needed challenges in the final meet-up before Southgate selects his 23-man squad for Germany. Two further preparation games will follow before the Euros get under way, with the December 2 draw in Hamburg providing clarity on next summer’s opposition, base camp and potential route to the final. I think we've done a lot of things well, but there's always room for improvement. Gareth Southgate England’s draw against Macedonia rubber-stamped their place among the top seeds for the Euro 2024 draw and Southgate said: “In the calendar year we’re eight wins and two draws from a particularly tough qualifying group and certainly a friendly in Scotland that was always going to be challenging. “Of course, you’d like 10 wins out of 10 but not many teams do that. “I’m really pleased with what the players have given – not just the players that are here tonight, but the players that have represented us through this year because they’ve been excellent.” Harry Kane has, unsurprisingly, been among the standout performers this year but questions about the Bayern Munich sharpshooter’s back-up remain. Callum Wilson, Ivan Toney, Eddie Nketiah and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have all been selected in recent times, but Ollie Watkins is the current frontrunner for the job. The Aston Villa striker had the chance to underline that status against Macedonia but was replaced by Kane just 58 minutes into a frustrating night in Skopje, where the skipper made an immediate impact as he forced Jani Atanasov into an own goal equaliser. “Look, it was a difficult game,” Southgate said when asked about Watkins. “Very little space, back five, so we’re dealing with three centre-backs, really, and we weren’t quite able to create the clear chance for him. “But he did fine. It’s not easy when you’re coming in in those circumstances but that’s international football. “Of course, he’s had games where there’s been more opportunities to score and he’s done that well with us. “(This) was a different sort of test and, yeah, as a team, it was hard to find the spaces and find the gaps even though moments Phil (Foden) found lovely little passes and Trent (Alexander-Arnold) did. “It was so crowded around the edge of that box to find those clear chances for our forwards.” Read More Kyle Walker urges England to get mentality right in bid for Euro 2024 glory Phil Taylor to retire at the end of World Senior Darts Tour in 2024 On this day in 2007: England fail to qualify for Euro 2008 after Croatia defeat Jalen Hurts grabs double as Philadelphia Eagles avenge Super Bowl loss Gareth Southgate hails Rico Lewis after strong England debut in North Macedonia Michael O’Neill calls Northern Ireland win over Denmark step in right direction

Gareth Southgate’s England squad selection will be a huge discussion point as next summer’s Euros come into focus. An unbeaten 2023 is now in the history books and the PA news agency has analysed how Southgate likely sees his options right now. Goalkeepers On the plane: Jordan Pickford (Everton). In the departure lounge: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace) and Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal). Hoping for a late ticket: Nick Pope (Newcastle). Pickford established himself as England’s number one ahead of the 2018 World Cup and is all but certain to go into his fourth major tournament as the main man between the sticks. Ramsdale had looked his closest contender but David Raya’s arrival at Arsenal has impacted his playing time and could well damage his international ambitions. Johnstone has supplanted Pope as third choice for the time being. Defenders On the plane: Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle) and Kyle Walker (Manchester City). In the departure lounge: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Reece James (Chelsea) and Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan). Hoping for a late ticket: Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), Tino Livramento (Newcastle) and Ben White (Arsenal). Trippier, Stones, Walker and Maguire have been to every previous major tournament under Southgate and will do so again if fit and playing. James undoubtedly has the quality to be on the plane but needs to prove his fitness – not ideal given his issues staying available and the competition at right-back. Injured Chelsea team-mate Chilwell is in a similar position but may benefit from a dearth of options at left-back. That said, he looks behind Shaw and further behind than the Euro 2020 final goalscorer in terms of his rehabilitation. Colwill can fill in there as he did on his England debut against Australia, which will boost the central defender’s hopes. He missed November’s camp through injury, meaning Tomori and versatile teenager Lewis starting there instead. The latter impressed on his debut against North Macedonia. Guehi has established himself as third-choice centre-back and Dunk pushed his case before having to withdraw from November’s squad. Konsa was brought in but did not feature. Livramento was name-checked by Southgate and White has not been involved since Qatar 2022. Midfielders On the plane: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq) and Declan Rice (Arsenal). In the departure lounge: Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Cole Palmer (Chelsea) and Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City). Hoping for a late ticket: Mason Mount (Manchester United) and James Ward-Prowse (West Ham). Bellingham would be in any squad in the world, as would Rice. There are questions over Henderson and Phillips given their club situations, but Southgate has so far seen enough to stick with two players he trusts implicitly. The latter’s place is the bigger doubt given his limited playing time at Manchester City. The Football Association now lists Alexander-Arnold as a midfielder, with his versatility and qualities surely enough to see him involved in a midfield that Gallagher is now a regular part of. Palmer got the nod this time and the adaptable attacking midfielder featured in both November fixtures after a fine start at new club Chelsea. By contrast, Mount’s difficult end to last season and injury-impacted beginning to life at Old Trafford has seen him miss out on recent squads, but Southgate is a long-term admirer of the Euro 2020 final starter. Ward-Prowse has not been called up despite his impressive form at West Ham. Forwards On the plane: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) and Bukayo Saka (Arsenal). In the departure lounge: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), James Maddison (Tottenham), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) and Callum Wilson (Newcastle). Hoping for a late ticket: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea) and Ivan Toney (Brentford). England are blessed with an abundance of attacking options. Skipper Kane is a certainty, as is fleet-footed Saka. Foden, Grealish and Rashford are established performers under Southgate, while Maddison is now a regular squad member. There are decisions to make beyond them. Sterling has won 82 caps for his country but has not featured since December’s World Cup quarter-final loss to France. Bowen is another fighting for a sport after his October recall and was denied a chance to take his West Ham form onto the international scene by an issue sustained on the eve of the Macedonia game. As for Kane’s back-up, Watkins scored on his return to the set-up in October but failed to further his chances with a poor performance from the start in Skopje. Nketiah was omitted having made his debut last month, while injury hampered Wilson’s chances to prove he should go to another tournament in that role. Calvert-Lewin did at Euro 2020 and is fit again and Toney is the most interesting alternative, although his betting ban does not end until January. Read More Phil Taylor to retire at the end of World Senior Darts Tour in 2024 On this day in 2007: England fail to qualify for Euro 2008 after Croatia defeat Jalen Hurts grabs double as Philadelphia Eagles avenge Super Bowl loss Gareth Southgate hails Rico Lewis after strong England debut in North Macedonia Michael O’Neill calls Northern Ireland win over Denmark step in right direction Rob Page: Wales not entertaining Euro 2024 play-off talk before Turkey qualifier

Wales will conclude their Euro 2024 qualifying on Tuesday night against Turkey, with Rob Page’s side’s automatic qualification hopes hanging by a thread. Having suffered a disappointing 1-1 draw against Armenia, Wales’ top-two hopes are now out of their hands following Croatia’s 2-0 win over Latvia. The home side must win against already-qualified Turkey and hope Croatia slip up against Armenia or face a playoff fixture in March for a spot in next summer’s tournament. Fresh off their impressive 3-2 away win against Germany, Turkey will be looking to secure the top spot in Group D and top seeding ahead of the Euros draw. Here’s everything you need to know, and get the latest match tips and odds here. When is Wales vs Turkey? The match takes place tonight, Tuesday 21 November, with a kick-off time of 7.45pm GMT, at the Cardiff City Stadium. How can I watch it? In the UK the match will be shown live on Viaplay Sports 1 and in the Welsh language on S4C. Viaplay subscribers can also watch the contest on their website and app, while Channel 4 will show a free live stream in Welsh on their website. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider. Team news Page will no doubt look to make some changes after their draw with Armenia, with Brennan Johnson likely to be promoted from the bench. Tom Lockyer could return in central defence to replace Chris Mepham who will miss out with a suspension. Captain Aaron Ramsey remains unavailable through injury. Salih Ozcan could be in line for a return to the starting XI after he was benched for their win against Germany. Skipper Hakan Calhanoglu remains unavailable, having not travelled with the squad due to illness. Predicted line-ups: Wales XI: Ward, Lockyer, Rodon, Davies, Roberts, James, Ampadu, Williams, Johnson, Wilson, Moore. Turkey XI: Altay, Celik, Bardakci, Kabak, Kadioglu, Akbaba, Ozcan, Yuksek, Akturkoglu, Yilmaz, Yildiz. Odds Wales win 13/10 Draw 13/5 Turkey win 15/8 Full Wales vs Turkey odds here. Prediction A tough night for Wales who may fall short of toppling the in-form Turkish side. Wales 1-2 Turkey. Read More North Macedonia vs England LIVE: Euro 2024 qualifier result and reaction Scotland sign off on successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with six-goal thriller Gareth Southgate wants vastly-improved display from England in North Macedonia Jarrod Bowen adds to England withdrawals after injury in training Kieran Trippier withdraws from England squad ahead of trip to North Macedonia Is Scotland vs Norway on TV? Channel, time and how to watch

England were beaten 3-2 by Croatia at Wembley on this day in 2007 to end their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008 and seal the fate of manager Steve McClaren. Their failure to qualify for the Euros meant the writing was on the wall for McClaren, who was dismissed as boss a day later after 18 months in charge. McClaren had watched the dismal defeat unfold in the pouring rain at Wembley from under an umbrella and was dubbed the “wally with a brolly”. England only needed a draw to book their place at the finals in Austria and Switzerland but found themselves two goals down at the break, Scott Carson letting Niko Kranjcar’s 25-yard effort slip through his grasp for the first before former Arsenal striker Eduardo made it two. David Beckham came off the bench for his 99th cap and inspired an England comeback as he set up Peter Crouch for a superb equaliser shortly after Frank Lampard had converted a 56th-minute penalty to put England on course for qualification. But the fightback proved in vain as Croatia substitute Mladen Petric beat Carson from 20 yards 13 minutes from time to end England’s hopes. After the match McClaren declared he would not be stepping down, but the Football Association took the decision out of his hands by sacking him after just 18 games, making him the shortest-serving permanent England boss in history at the time. McClaren’s reign heralded just nine wins and ended with the team conceding three goals on home soil for the first time in 35 years. “I feel I have let the fans down and the country down,” said McClaren. “I knew that if we didn’t qualify that would put the board in a difficult position. “I can understand the decision, the reaction and the criticism. It hurts and disappoints me, but that is football and it will make me stronger in the future.” England turned next to Fabio Capello, while McClaren rebuilt his reputation by leading Dutch side FC Twente to the Eredivisie title in 2010 and had further spells at Wolfsburg, Nottingham Forest, Derby, Newcastle and QPR and is now on the coaching staff at Manchester United. Read More Jalen Hurts grabs double as Philadelphia Eagles avenge Super Bowl loss Gareth Southgate hails Rico Lewis after strong England debut in North Macedonia Michael O’Neill calls Northern Ireland win over Denmark step in right direction

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Gareth Southgate praised Rico Lewis after the teenage debutant bounced back from a contentious penalty call made against him during an impressive first England appearance away to North Macedonia. An unbeaten year that started with victory in Italy ended with a 1-1 draw away in chilly Skopje as the Euro 2020 runners-up rubberstamped their place among the top seeds for next year’s finals. Monday’s trip to Skopje represented England’s final match on foreign soil before Euro 2024 gets under way in June, and Southgate’s side had to dig deep after falling behind to a team they beat 7-0 in June. Lewis was unlucky to see a spot-kick awarded against him shortly after Harry Maguire survived making a clumsy challenge in the box, with Enis Bardhi scoring after Jordan Pickford saved his initial spot-kick. England returned from the break strongly and Southgate quickly turned to Harry Kane, who immediately forced Jani Atanasov into an own goal that would seal the draw. “I thought the performance was good, mentality was excellent,” England boss Southgate said after bringing the curtain down on 2023. “I thought we played well, we totally controlled the game. “It was difficult with the way that they defended and the pitch not easy to get the perfect final pass. “But I thought there were some excellent performances within the game. “I didn’t think that was a penalty. The one before might have been, so maybe that evened itself out. “I’ve zero to say about (the VAR) which probably tells you everything.” Thankfully Southgate was more forthcoming when it came to the performance of versatile talent Lewis. Making his England debut a day shy of his 19th birthday, the left-back was in a far more advanced position in possession and reacted well to the penalty decision against him. Lewis caught Bojan Miovski with an arm when rising to win a header and referee Filip Glova pointed to the spot after reviewing the incident on the VAR’s behest. Asked if that moment may overshadow the teenager’s debut, Southgate said: “Well, it shouldn’t do because he was excellent. “His performance and then his reaction to what I know will have been a disappointment for him, but we’re not looking at him for being at fault in any way. “His composure with the ball was outstanding and he should be really proud because we are very, very pleased with what he did.” Southgate said there was no need to console Lewis about the penalty at half-time and instead reminded him about how well he was playing. “We thought Rico throughout the whole game was excellent,” the England manager added. “Great composure, great resilience. “We didn’t feel he had anything to come back from but I know sometimes as a player you might feel that. “But we thought there was no crime, so we were pleased with everything he did.” Lewis was the youngest starter on a night when Manchester City team-mate Kyle Walker was the elder statesman and skippered his country for the first time. “It was a nice moment for him to captain his country,” Southgate said of the 33-year-old. “He’s really grown in terms of his leadership. I know he’s thriving on that with his club and that will be a special moment in his career as well.” Read More Michael O’Neill calls Northern Ireland win over Denmark step in right direction Phil Taylor to retire from darts at the end of next year Everton’s 10-point penalty ‘grossly unjust’ and should be suspended, says MP Rob Page: Wales not entertaining Euro 2024 play-off talk before Turkey qualifier Mayor of Liverpool writes to Premier League over ‘excessive’ Everton penalty 5 talking points ahead of Republic of Ireland’s friendly against New Zealand

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