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Gary Neville has suggested that Ivan Toney could be a better player as a substitute than Ollie Watkins against Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday.
Aston Villa star Watkins realised his boyhood dream by scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute against the Netherlands in England’s semi-final win earlier this week.
His sublime finish after a superb pass from Cole Palmer ensured that England qualified for the final of the European Championship at the expense of the Netherlands, after Spain had already eliminated France.
Watkins posed an immediate threat when he came on as an 81st-minute substitute for Harry Kane, with Brentford striker Toney remaining on as a substitute.
Toney was previously preferred to Watkins in the quarter-final win over Switzerland and converted a vital penalty in the shoot-out victory, while manager Gareth Southgate maintains his unpredictable approach to team changes.
Gary Neville has suggested that Ivan Toney (left) could be a better impact player off the bench than Ollie Watkins (right) against Spain
England manager Gareth Southgate (left) will continue his theme of starting Harry Kane (right) in the 2024 European Championship final
Watkins was England’s saviour in their semi-final victory over the Netherlands after scoring in the 90th minute
Kane is almost certain to start against Spain in Berlin, given his status as England captain and top scorer, but some argue Watkins deserves a chance.
However, Neville has explained why he would want to bring on Toney against Spain if the Three Lions find themselves in a similar situation and need to hunt for a late goal again.
Gary Neville spoke on Stick to Football: The Overlap Special, brought to you by Sky Bettingsaid: ‘Against Spain, let’s say Spain are deep with 10 minutes to go and we get crosses into the penalty area, then it should be Ivan Toney [to be subbed on].
‘You know Virgil van Dijk and Stefan de Vrij probably wouldn’t have wanted to play against Ollie Watkins, and they pushed us back a bit.’
Toney and Watkins have both had limited opportunities at Euro 2024, with Kane starting every game and currently joint top scorer at the tournament with three goals.
Watkins had made just one appearance before his goal against the Netherlands, having last played for 20 minutes in England’s group stage clash with Denmark.
Toney has made just two substitute appearances for England at Euro 2024, earning plaudits for his impact in knockout matches against Slovakia and Switzerland.
Both Watkins (left) and Toney (right) have only played twice for England at Euro 2024
Neville believes Toney could be a more effective option as a substitute for England against Spain
Despite the lack of playing time, both players have shown complete professionalism, with Southgate’s focus on team building ensuring a united approach to winning within the England training camp.
Kane stressed that the team places great value on players being ‘ready’ to make their mark when needed. Speaking after the win over the Netherlands, he told ITV: ‘We are a big team that is ready, everyone is ready for when it matters.
‘You might get five minutes, you might get one minute, but you can make a difference, you can win us the tournament. Ollie waited, he was patient, what a finish.
To watch the second episode of Stick to Football: The Overlap Special, fans can tune in to ITV1 and ITV X on Friday 12th July at 11.05pm BST or watch on The Overlap YouTube channel.