'Needs huge flowers': Man United legend hails Gareth Southgate after England reach Euro 2024 final

With a 2-1 score, England triumphally defeated the Netherlands in an exciting UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final game. With a goal by Xavi Simons in the seventh minute, the Netherlands led early; yet, England reacted fast as Harry Kane converted a penalty in the eighteenth minute. England entered the final after Ollie Watkins scored the winning goal in the 90th minute, therefore keeping the game fierce until the last moments. England will now face Spain in the UEFA Euro 2024 final following this incredible victory.  

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Rio Ferdinand hails Gareth Southgate after England beat Netherlands to reach the UEFA Euro 2024 finals 

In the aftermath of England's 2024 Euro semifinal triumph over the Netherlands, Rio Ferdinand applauded manager Gareth Southgate for leading the national side to victory. England defeated Germany, 2-1, in the semi-final match that took place on July 10 at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany.

Group C for this year's tournament included England, Slovenia, and Denmark. The Three Lions finished first in their group after recording five points (two wins and a draw). They made it this far by sweeping Slovakia 2-1 in the round of 16, and then they beat Switzerland 5-3 in the quarterfinals, thanks to a penalty shootout.

Southgate has been criticised for the team selections and their performances, even though they have achieved success. After the 53-year-old manager's side beat the Netherlands in the semi-finals, Manchester United great Rio Ferdinand offered his support, saying (via @FIVEUK on X):

“Southgate needs huge flowers, he needs to be given the respect he deserves. In this tournament, he has got every single substitution correct. Every game he's made a substitution, the player has come on and impacted the game, from the first game to the last two-three minutes of this game.”

England will now be seen in action for one last time in the UEFA Euro 2024 final against Spain. The match will be played at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Sunday, July 14, 2024. 

It is important to note that England has yet to secure their first title, despite finishing as runners-up in the UEFA European Championship in 2021 and securing third place in 1968 and 1996. Conversely, Spain, being one of the best teams in the competition's history, has secured the championship on three separate occasions: 1964, 2008, and 2012.