da marjack bet： Gareth Southgate can finally deliver silverware if he deploys the world-class trio in Germany next year

da cassino： England are back at the top table of international football. Gareth Southgate didn't just pick up the pieces following a devastating Euro 2016 exit at the hands of Iceland, he made a whole country start believing again.

The limitless promise of the squad was clear after they secured a semi-final berth at the 2018 World Cup, which was followed up by a scintillating run to the European Championship final three years later. England ultimately failed to bring home silverware for the first time since 1996 as Italy won a gruelling contest at Wembley on penalties, but it was far from the end of the road.

Southgate's men breezed through to the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar last year, and really should have gone further. France emerged with a 2-1 victory as England were made to pay for missed chances after dominating the majority of the game.

It was arguably the best overall team performance of Southgate's reign to date given the calibre of the opposition. The Three Lions have come a long way in a short period of time and there is no doubting the quality in their ranks, but Euro 2024 will only be about one thing: winning.

And if England are to finally lift a major trophy in Germany next summer, Southgate must play his strongest possible side. That means Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Phil Foden lining up in a midfield three throughout the tournament.

Recent history proves that a conservative approach won't take England to the promised land. It's time for Southgate to put 100 percent faith in his best players and finally unlock the team's full potential.

GettyBest in the world

Bellingham, Rice and Foden have all enjoyed meteoric rises to the elite stage, displaying a maturity and coolness under pressure belying their tender age. How far they go is entirely in their own hands.

Motivation won't be a problem if the start of the 2023-24 season at club level is anything to go by. Real Madrid and Arsenal spent huge money to sign Bellingham and Rice respectively, but both men are already starting to pay it back with their stellar performances.

Bellingham has hit five goals in his first four games for Los Blancos, and won the Liga Player of the Month award for August. The 20-year-old looks right at home under the bright lights at Santiago Bernabeu.

Right now, no one else can claim to rival Bellingham as the best all-round midfielder in the European game. The former Borussia Dortmund talisman is deceptively strong, adept at dribbling in tight spaces, an intelligent passer and a devastating finisher – which is why he will almost certainly go on to become one of the greatest players of his generation.

Rice doesn't boast the same kind of match-winning qualities, but he is also a master of his position, and has already made the transition across London from West Ham to Arsenal look easy. He's an excellent reader of the game, tenacious and composed on the ball , with a penchant for popping up in great positions – as evidenced by his game-clinching goal against Manchester United last weekend.

Compared to his two England team-mates, Foden has had a more subdued impact in the early stages of the new campaign. The 23-year-old failed to find the net in City's first four games as they stormed back to the top of the Premier League with maximum points.

But Foden has recorded three assists, including one in an impressive victory over Newcastle that saw him run the show from the right flank. It's getting harder and harder for Pep Guardiola to rotate Foden as he looks more like the true heir to David Silva with each passing game.

The fact that England can call upon these three players at any one time gives them a huge advantage over any other nation. And together they can carry the squad to glory.

AdvertisementGettyUnderwhelming alternatives

When England were beaten by France at the 2022 World Cup, Southgate opted for Jordan Henderson to complete his midfield alongside Rice and Bellingham, with Foden pushed further forward to support Harry Kane. Henderson has never been the most creative or forward-thinking player, and although he was key to the Three Lions' defensive set-up against Les Bleus, he lacked composure at key moments.

Henderson also underwhelmed upon his return to Liverpool, and was ultimately deemed surplus to requirements after Jurgen Klopp's side slumped to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League. The 32-year-old subsequently completed a controversial transfer to Al-Ettifaq, reuniting with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard in the process.

Southgate has continued to select Henderson in England's latest European Championship qualifying campaign, and the midfielder is adamant that he can still be an asset for his country despite plying his club trade in Saudi Arabia. But the reality is, he shouldn't be in the Three Lions's starting XI going forward.

Beyond Henderson, Southgate has two other obvious options in central midfield. City's Kalvin Phillips, who partnered Rice in a pivot at Euro 2020, and Manchester United new boy Mason Mount.

Phillips endured a nightmare debut season at City after joining the club from Leeds, and barely played any role in their treble triumph amid persistent struggles for fitness. The 27-year-old now appears to have put his injury woes behind him, but still can't get into Guardiola's team.

Mount also finds himself at a frustrating point in his career, having left his boyhood club Chelsea on the back of his worst campaign in the famous Blue shirt. Supporters and pundits alike were stunned when United forked out £60m ($75m) to prise him away from Stamford Bridge, and a glowing endorsement from Erik ten Hag did little to change that.

The doubts only increased after Mount's first two competitive appearances for United, as he cut an anonymous figure in an unconvincing 1-0 win over Wolves before being given the run around by Tottenham's midfielders in a 2-0 defeat in north London.

Mount also picked up a hamstring injury in that clash, which ruled him out of England's latest set of qualifiers. The former Chelsea man was once dubbed 'teacher's pet' as one of the mainstays in Southgate's line-up, but he now has a lot of work to do to even get back into contention for an international call-up.

The fact is, England do not have a great deal of strength in depth behind Bellingham, Rice and Foden, which is why it would make little sense to keep them apart.

GettyThe Maddison option

The only man who might push for a spot in the centre of the pitch is Tottenham's new talisman: James Maddison. Spurs snapped the 26-year-old up from Leicester City for £40m ($49m), which is already looking like the best piece of business from the summer transfer window.

Ange Postecoglou's side have stormed to second in the Premier League table with three wins and a draw from their opening set of matches, and Maddison has been key to their resurgence. The ex-Leicester playmaker has scored twice and set up another two already, leaving many to wonder why United went for Mount instead of him.

Maddison has also forced his way into the England picture over the past year – a deserved reward for his hard work. There is certainly an argument to be made for him to fill a midfield slot at the Euros.

There are few players with a more varied passing range than Maddison, who can also find the net himself from almost any angle with his wand of a right foot. He's also a free-kick specialist capable of maximising England's aerial threat in the box.

Southgate could quite easily deploy Foden on the wing again in order to accommodate Maddison in a deeper role, especially if he continues to shine for Spurs in the coming months. However, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish will also both be eyeing that crucial spot on the left of the attack.

As good as Maddison is, England would be more balanced with Foden in midfield. He can still make an impact in the final third from that position, but will also be able to dictate the pace of games in a way that Maddison cannot.

Alexander-Arnold conundrum

If Southgate is feeling especially bold when the Euros roll around next June, he could also decide to move Trent Alexander-Arnold into a more attacking position. The Liverpool man wasn't getting a look-in at right-back with Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Reece James all preferred for their defensive qualities.

But Alexander-Arnold showed his unique value in a thumping 4-0 away win over Malta in June. He was a constant menace on the right side of England's midfield three, and scored a thunderous goal from 25-yards out that put Southgate's side in full control of the match.

In defence, it has often been suggested that Alexander-Arnold is a liability due to his lack of positional awareness, but he was an asset rather than a hindrance against Malta and rightly kept his place in the team for a subsequent home fixture against North Macedonia.

England ran riot at Wembley, thumping their opponents 7-0 thanks to a hat-trick from Bukayo Saka, a brace from Kane and goals from Rashford and Phillips. Alexander-Arnold didn't score, but he was once again one of the best players on the pitch, and also notched an assist for good measure.

When it comes to executing defensive-splitting passes and pin-point crosses, there is no one better than Alexander-Arnold. But it's unclear whether he would be as effective in midfield against stronger opposition.

England have also been adept at sticking to a strict shape when out of possession under Southgate, and Alexander-Arnold might disrupt that harmony. Bellingham is far more disciplined, which is why he should still be first choice on the right.