Gareth Southgate slammed by Wayne Rooney after his decision 'killed' two England stars at Euro 2024 ahead of last-16 tie

In a column for The Times, Rooney said Mainoo, Gordon and Cole Palmer have all staked solid claims to starting for England against Slovakia in the knockout based on how each performed off the bench in the group clash with Slovenia.

Southgate stuck quite rigidly to his starting lineup during the opening phase, keeping the same XI for England's first two games and then only swapping out Trent Alexander-Arnold for Conor Gallagher in the third. But Mainoo and Gordon, in particular, both made a positive difference, leading fans and Rooney to hope that they will now get the chance to start in the last 16.

Rooney said: "Against Slovenia, Kobbie Mainoo staked a big claim for a starting place, Cole Palmer was very good and Anthony Gordon, though he played only a few minutes, had a couple of excellent touches. At just the right time in the tournament, Gareth may have stumbled upon the right team. I would play at least two of those three youngsters against Slovakia – and, in fact, I said before the tournament that my starting XI for the knockout stage would have Mainoo and Gordon in it.

"None of what happened in the group stage surprised me. I would never have played Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield and expected that, when the experiment didn't work, Gareth would try Conor Gallagher. Gareth killed both a bit by discarding them, but in each case, it was the right call and when Mainoo came in you saw him making forward runs and showing composure on the ball. "Palmer is just suited to international football. He can take the ball, he's calm on it and has the personality you need on that stage. Gordon is more direct than the other two and ensures there is a good blend."

Reports already suggest Kobbie Mainoo will start the Slovakia game and Gordon would be well-placed to come in for Phil Foden should he not be quite up to speed after taking a short leave of absence for the birth of his third child. If England win, they will progress to a quarter-final against either Italy or Switzerland.