Has Rico Lewis already cemented his EURO 24 ticket?

While England might have been forced to settle for an uninspiring 1-1 draw away against North Macedonia on Monday night, it was Rico Lewis who stole all of the Three Lions’ positive headlines.

Lewis stakes an early claim for EURO 24

Although Lewis might have largely been thrust into the limelight on Monday night, Manchester City’s homegrown starlet put in a mature performance against North Macedonia and was more than deserving of the praise he has received. Becoming the 20th youngest player to make a senior appearance for the Three Lions on foreign soil, Lewis couldn’t have wished for a better early birthday present just 24 hours before he turns 19. Continuing to shine since bursting onto the scene with Premier League icons Manchester City last season, Lewis also received the Man of the Match award on Monday night following his senior debut. Showing no signs of his age and demonstrating that he can play a number of different roles, City’s academy graduate should now have his sights firmly set on booking a spot in Southgate’s squad for EURO 24. Already making five Premier League appearances with Pep Guardiola’s side this season, Lewis certainly doesn’t seem fazed by his sudden rise to budding superstardom.

Rico Lewis’ Player of the Match performance on his official England debut 🌟 pic.twitter.com/3BuypNUihH
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) November 21, 2023

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Southgate finds mounting pressure on his shoulders

Eventually forced to settle for a sluggish 1-1 draw away at a North Macedonian squad who currently sit 66th in the FIFA rankings, Southgate has certainly seen some mounting pressure on his shoulders over the past fortnight. Despite marking their return to qualifying duties last weekend with a 2-0 victory against Malta at Wembley, Southgate’s men have struggled to find any kind of clinical edge in the final third. While England might have eventually cruised their way to next year’s European Championships, Southgate’s pragmatic approach has struggled to excite fans across the country.

◉ EURO 2004 (W6 D2 L0) ◉ EURO 2012 (W5 D3 L0) ◉ EURO 2016 (W10 D0 L0) ◉ EURO 2024 (W6 D2 L0)
England complete a European Championship qualifying campaign unbeaten for the fourth time this century.#ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/JwztJk8zH4 — Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) November 20, 2023

Although England might have signed off their EURO 24 qualifying adventure with a pair of flat performances, the Three Lions are tipped as a major contender when they arrive out in Germany next year.