England are through to the final of Euro 2024 after breaking Dutch hearts in Dortmund on Wednesday evening.
Gareth Southgate’s side faced The Netherlands in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 after a less-than-convincing route to the final four.
A fairly boring group stage campaign was followed by near-elimination against Slovakia before Jude Bellingham’s injury-time bicycle kick.
England needed penalties to get past Switzerland in the quarter-finals but turned in their best performance of the tournament against the Netherlands.
Xavi Simons smashed home a superb opener but England hit back through a contentious Harry Kane penalty.
With the game seemingly drifting towards extra time, Ollie Watkins rattled home the winner with just minutes to play.
England fans, players and staff were sent into pure euphoria and all can now look ahead to Sunday’s final against Spain.
Jerdy Schouten backed for Arsenal or Liverpool
Ronald Koeman’s men may feel a little aggrieved.
England’s penalty has divided opinion and the Netherlands certainly improved after half time.
Koeman’s changes – bringing on Joey Veerman and Wout Weghorst – helped the Netherlands gain more control without really looking any more threatening.
The Dutch midfield struggled in the first half with Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo running riot.
PSV Eindhoven’s Jerdy Schouten at least showed some composure on the ball and kept the play ticking over in midfield, especially in the second half.
The former Bologna man was exceptional for PSV this past season, helping them win the Eredivisie title after arriving last summer.
Schouten certainly left pundit Hans Kraay Jr impressed over in the Netherlands as he backed the midfielder for a Premier League move.
As quoted by FC Update, Kraay Jr suggested that Schouten is ‘gone’ after Euro 2024, believing that three top Premier League clubs will be keen.
Kraay Jr suggested that Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City will now have been sleeping during the semi-final clash and will have certainly noticed Schouten’s passing ability.
Kraay Jr added that Schouten is a ‘typical’ Pep Guardiola player due to his care in possession and believes that City may well snap up Schouten this summer.
“Let me put it this way: Schouten is gone,” said Kraay Jr. “They are not nightcaps, are they, at Manchester City, at Liverpool, at Arsenal. Someone who never, ever gives the ball to the wrong colour.”
“This is a typical Pep Guardiola footballer. Pep Guardiola has been salivating the entire tournament. He will think: ‘That’s nice. We are a team that wants to have eighty, ninety percent possession of the ball and that Schouten has ninety percent possession.’ They are going to pick him up,” he added.
Arsenal may be in the market for another midfielder this summer but much will depend on the future of Thomas Partey.
The Ghanaian has been linked away from Arsenal on a regular basis and Mikel Arteta may look for a holding midfield player if Partey moves on.
Schouten is already 27 though and turns 28 midway through next season.
That may just take him out of the ideal age profile for teams like Arsenal, Liverpool and City, who tend to focus on younger players.
Signing a 27-year-old from the Eredivisie just doesn’t seem like something Arsenal, Liverpool and City would focus on and we would be surprised to see them move for Schouten even if he has shown his class at Euro 2024.
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