Southgate coping with pressure, says ex-teammate Geoff Thomas

Mr Thomas, from Redditch, Worcestershire, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2003, a year after he retired from football.

He subsequently raised millions of pounds for charity, became a patron of Cure Leukaemia and launched his own charity.

Southgate had supported his work, including sending a message to Mr Thomas and his team when they took part in fundraising cycle ride on the Tour de France route in 2021.

“We do keep in touch a lot and he has helped myself out with Cure Leukaemia, the work I do with them, many times, so he’s a great mate,” Mr Thomas said.

Mr Thomas added he would love to see England reach the Euro 2024 final and he believed they may have been weighed down by the expectations of England “winning easily” up to this point.

However, he thought their dramatic comeback win against Slovakia on Sunday may have eased the tension and he hoped they now “just go for it”.