Euro 2024: Cole Palmer excited as England get ready for Spain final

Southgate: Huge task to play best team in Euro 2024 with day less to prepare

England manager Gareth Southgate faces a daunting challenge as his team prepares to face Spain in the final of Euro 2024. With just one day less to prepare than their opponents, Southgate knows that his players will need to be at their absolute best to secure England’s first major international trophy in 58 years.

After a lackluster performance in the group stage and a slow start in the knockout phase, England finally found their rhythm and produced their finest display of the tournament to defeat the Netherlands 2-1 and secure their place in the final.

Cole Palmer, who played a crucial role in England’s journey to the final, expressed the team’s excitement about the prospect of ending the long wait for a major trophy. Palmer scored a penalty in the quarter-final shootout against Switzerland and provided the assist for Ollie Watkins’ winning goal against the Dutch.

Speaking to the England YouTube channel, Palmer revealed the team’s jubilant mood after the victory over the Netherlands. He said, “Everyone’s buzzing. Last night on the bus, tunes were on, in the changing room, everyone was just enjoying it.”

However, Palmer quickly emphasized that the team is now fully focused on the upcoming final. He acknowledged the significance of the match, not only for the players but also for their families and the entire nation. Palmer stated, “Obviously it’s a short turnaround and it’s a massive, massive game to change our lives, our family’s lives, and to make everyone proud. That’s what we’re trying to do. I think if you’ve got to this final then you have to hopefully finish the job. It’s all good getting to the final, and you’ve got to enjoy it because you don’t get many moments to enjoy. But, no, everyone just wants to win so bad.”

Palmer believes that England is hitting their peak at the right time in the tournament. He acknowledged that the team struggled in the early stages but feels that they have improved with each passing game. Reflecting on their performance against the Netherlands, Palmer said, “In the first few games, we didn’t play the best that we could and everyone knew that. But now I think as the tournament’s gone on, especially yesterday, I think we had our best game in the tournament, and that’s what you want going into the later stages.”

As England prepares to face Spain in the final, the nation holds its breath in anticipation of a historic victory. Southgate and his players are well aware of the challenge that lies ahead, but they are determined to seize this opportunity and etch their names in footballing history.