INTERVIEW | 'Southgate will be under pressure': Don Hutchison on England's Euro prospects

NEW DELHI:  The highly anticipated Euro 2020 is just a day away and all eyes will be on the heavyweight sides to produce the goods.

With fans back in attendance and multiple countries set to host, this edition will be a welcome relief for football enthusiasts after two strange club seasons.

This daily caught up with former Scotland and Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchison who spoke about a variety of topics including the favourites this time around, Gareth Southgate and the Three Lions’ chances and how fans and transfer speculation can derail a campaign.

Excerpts... 

Is this the best chance for England to win a trophy? Will Gareth Southgate be under extra pressure considering the squad at his disposal

That’s the question everyone has now! I think Gareth will be under pressure for the first time since he took over the reigns of the national team.

The talent at his disposal, the form the young stars have been exhibiting for the last couple of seasons, now seems the ideal time to cash in in terms of winning an international trophy.

But for me, how he manages to pick an XI from the squad that he has and how he and the staff and the players handle the situation will be key.

As soon as the team for the first match is announced, the British press and social media will start dissecting every decision and they will start asking for a certain player to start or be dropped.

I think he will embrace this pressure, I know him personally and he always thrives when there is pressure.

His biggest strength is his bravery and I’m sure he will not hesitate to make big calls if the situation demands it.  

Your semifinalists and possible winner and why? Dark horses if any

Italy or Scotland can be counted as the dark horses.

Usually prior to a major competition, Italy are always touted as one of the favourites. But this time around, they are flying under the radar.

But they have a young squad and Roberto Mancini has been on a roll since taking over the job. Their midfield options had a great season for their clubs and they can definitely progress deep into the tournament.

Scotland have a strong first XI even though they lack a bit of depth. But on their day, they can definitely spring a surprise or two.

In terms of favourites, the likes of Belgium, France and England look strong on paper. 

But in a competition of this magnitude anything can happen and from nowhere a new champion can emerge as we saw in the last Euros. So guessing at this stage is nigh on impossible!

Full story: newindianexpress.com

Watch UEFA EURO 2020 - LIVE on Sony Ten 2 in English & Sony Ten 3 in Hindi from June 11.