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Gareth Southgate says there can be no let-up after sealing early qualification for Euro 2024, telling England\u2019s players to grab next month\u2019s chance to impress and ensure their place as top seeds.<\/p>\n
Having set out their stall with an impressive victory over Italy in March\u2019s Group C opener, three further wins and an away draw against Ukraine put them within touching distance of progress.<\/p>\n
England took their chance to qualify for an eighth straight major tournament with two games to spare on Tuesday night, coming from behind to beat holders Italy 3-1 at a sold-out Wembley.<\/p>\n
Southgate\u2019s Euro 2020 runners-up have silverware in their sights next summer and are waiting to find out how things will shape up in Germany at the draw in Hamburg on December 2.<\/p>\n
But before that comes the end of qualification at home to Malta and away to North Macedonia, with the England boss calling on his players to end an unbeaten 2023 on a high.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can now plan,\u201d England boss Southgate told BBC Radio 5 Live after their place at Euro 2024 was mathematically secured.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been planning anyway for base camps and things because I think the days are gone where we didn\u2019t do that in case it brought bad luck.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe decided a long time ago that you have to plan as if you\u2019re going to be there.<\/p>\n
We now can really start to look forward with enthusiasm for next summer, but we want to finish the year well<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still need to win the matches next month because I think it won\u2019t be enough to win the group to be one of the top seeds, so we\u2019ll need a high points tally as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut also I want to see all the players again next month.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not going to flog them physically. We didn\u2019t do that this month. We\u2019ve looked after them. We\u2019re dealing well with the clubs on that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to say Manchester City were brilliant with this with John Stones. We\u2019ve managed his return to play really well and I think that\u2019s worked for both of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we now can really start to look forward with enthusiasm for next summer, but we want to finish the year, the calendar year, well as well next month.\u201d<\/p>\n
Southgate pledged to again give players the chance to stake their claims for a Euros spot in November\u2019s fixtures.<\/p>\n
\u201cSimilar to this month, we want to give people opportunities,\u201d Southgate said at the post-match press conference.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to win two matches firstly, but there\u2019s a chance to look at look at players again, which we need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ollie Watkins and Jarrod Bowen returned to the set-up in October and will be hoping to get another chance to impress, having started against Australia, with the former scoring in the 1-0 friendly win.<\/p>\n
Levi Colwill and Eddie Nketiah are also in that boat, having made their debuts on Friday before Southgate reverted to the tried and tested against Luciano Spalletti\u2019s revitalised Azzurri.<\/p>\n
The England boss made a full 11 changes from the Socceroos encounter, with eight of Tuesday\u2019s line-up having started the Euro 2020 final against Italy 27 months ago.<\/p>\n
Skipper Harry Kane was, unsurprisingly, among them and took his record national team goal haul to 61 with his brace in the comeback triumph.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a risk we take the goals for granted,\u201d Southgate said of the Bayern Munich sharpshooter.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut his all-round play, his hold up play, the way physically dealt with the centre-backs, his vision, his passing \u2013 because we have had him for a while it\u2019s easy to underestimate, but he\u2019s a top-level player.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s also now got a new experience at a different club, where he\u2019s looking to win trophies all the time, and he\u2019s got to win every week. (There is a) different sort of focus and pressure as the big signing there, so all of that\u2019s good.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s enjoying also coming back to England and mixing with the lads because he\u2019s very close with all of the group.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve said before, our senior players set a brilliant example for the young ones.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey provide that spirit. They\u2019ve been through so much together and they provide us with such a brilliant platform.\u201d<\/p>\n