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Gary Neville has suggested Ivan Toney could be a bigger impact player coming off the bench than Ollie Watkins against Spain in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final.
Aston Villa star Watkins lived out his childhood dream by scoring the 90th-minute winner against the Netherlands in England’s semi-final victory earlier this week.
His sublime finish from a brilliant pass from Cole Palmer secured England’s place in the Euro final at the expense of the Netherlands after Spain had already eliminated France.
Watkins posed an immediate threat when he came off the bench in the 81st minute, replacing Harry Kane, while Brentford striker Toney remained an unused substitute.
Toney had previously been preferred to Watkins in the quarter-final win over Switzerland and scored a vital penalty in the shoot-out victory as manager Gareth Southgate maintains his unpredictable approach to team changes.
Gary Neville has suggested Ivan Toney (left) could be a bigger impact player coming off the bench than Ollie Watkins (right) against Spain.
England manager Gareth Southgate (left) will continue to push ahead with his plan to start Harry Kane (right) in the Euro 2024 final
Watkins was England’s saviour in their semi-final win over the Netherlands after scoring in the 90th minute.
Kane is almost certain to start against Spain in Berlin given his status as team captain and England’s top scorer, despite some rumours suggesting Watkins deserves a chance.
But Neville has explained why he would look to bring Toney on against Spain if the Three Lions find themselves in the same position of having to chase a late goal again.
Gary Neville spoke on Stick to Football: The Overlap Special, presented by Sky BetHe said: ‘Against Spain, let’s say Spain are down 10 minutes from time and we’re getting crosses into the box, it should be Ivan Toney (who will come on as a substitute).
“You know that Virgil van Dijk and Stefan de Vrij probably wouldn’t have wanted to play against Ollie Watkins, and they put us under a bit of pressure.”
Both Toney and Watkins have had limited opportunities at Euro 2024, with Kane starting every game and currently tied for top scorer at the tournament with three goals.
Watkins had made just one appearance before his goal against the Netherlands, having last featured for 20 minutes in England’s group stage draw against Denmark.
Similarly, Toney made just two substitute appearances for England at Euro 2024 and was twice praised for his impact in the knockout clashes against Slovakia and Switzerland.
Both Watkins (left) and Toney (right) have only made two appearances for England at Euro 2024.
Neville believes Toney could be a more effective option off the bench for England against Spain
However, despite the lack of minutes, both players have shown complete professionalism and Southgate’s focus on team building creates a unified approach to winning within the England camp.
Kane insisted the team has placed a huge emphasis on players being “ready” to make their mark when needed, telling ITV after beating Holland: “We’re a big team at being ready, everyone is ready when it matters.”
‘You may have five minutes, you may have one minute, but you can make the difference, you can win the tournament. Ollie has been waiting, he’s been patient, what a final.
To watch the second episode of Stick to Football: The Overlap Special, fans can tune in to ITV1 and ITV X on Friday 12 July at 11:05pm or watch it on The Overlap YouTube channel.
