Former Ajax and Netherlands striker Marco Van Basten believes England are big favourites for the European Championships which take place in Germany next year. During the popular TV show Rondo, van Basten was asked who he believed are the favourites to win the competition, to which he replied: ‘England. They are going through a great development. Their players are playing in a strong league and their younger players are looking really good. It’s just looking very good for them.’

England reached the final of the UEFA European Championships in 2020, just missing out after losing to Italy on penalties at Wembley. Since then their squad has matured with age, with a number of players including the likes of Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka have become important members of their club sides. And with captain Harry Kane making the move to Bayern Munich over the summer, it is looking as though the squad has all the potential to go far in the competition.

Naturally the competition will be tough for anyone to win, France have been a team which always show their strength in recent competitions and hosts Germany will believe their home advantage could take them far. Italy will aim to be back-to-back winners of the competition, while other teams such as the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal will all be confident they can make it far in the tournament. EURO 2024 is shaping up to be a festival of football with a number of nations capable of winning.