England squad player ratings: Who impressed at Euro 2020 and who could have done better?

How did we rate England’s players during the whole of Euro 2020?

England may have failed to win Euro 2020 but this was still their best showing at a major international tournament since 1966.

Gareth Southgate’s side showed their tactical versatility, smart game management and defensive solidity on their way to the penalty shootout defeat in Sunday’s final against Italy.

Three players – Raheem Sterling, Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker – have been named in Uefa’s official team of the tournament after their eye-catching displays.

Others like Jordan Pickford and Luke Shaw also deserve credit, though several of their teammates would have been hoping to hit better form.

Here, The Independent rates every member of the squad to play significant minutes on how they performed...

England’s Euro 2020 squad ratings

Jordan Pickford – 8.5 out of 10

Answered many of his critics to leave no doubt about his starting status. The old eccentricities are still there but have been tempered and, as Southgate has repeated time and time again, he has never let his international manager down.

Kyle Walker – 8.5 out of 10

There is still a perception of Walker as an attacking, marauding full-back but the past few weeks should finally change that. The best defensive option among England’s many right-backs, his recovery pace was critical to how Southgate set up.

Luke Shaw – 8.5 out of 10

Only the third Englishman to score in a major tournament final, Shaw’s first international goal was deserved for an excellent summer’s work. Too timid on his first appearance against Scotland but learned from that to become a key creator.

John Stones – 8 out of 10

Spent more time on the pitch than any other outfield player and proved his renaissance is not simply down to playing for Manchester City. Free from the individual errors or lapses in concentration which have damaged his international career in the past.

Harry Maguire – 8.5 out of 10

Some questioned Southgate’s decision to take Maguire but he was immense from the moment he returned to the side. One of the best all-round centre-backs in Europe now, the Manchester United captain demonstrated his ability to progress the ball up the pitch as well as kill off the opposition’s attacks.

Kieran Trippier – 8 out of 10

Southgate’s “special teams” operator, starting against Croatia, Germany and Italy in either a role or a system that was opponent-specific. Set-piece ability was also valuable. It was just a shame that he was substituted in the final before being trusted to take a penalty.

Tyrone Mings – 7.5 out of 10

After a couple of unsteady displays in the warm-up games, Mings felt like a likely scapegoat if England made a poor start. And yet, he stepped in for Maguire against Croatia and Scotland with aplomb, never looking out of place.

Declan Rice – 7 out of 10

At times, Rice looked like the leading holding midfielder it’s hoped he will become and he was everywhere during the first half of the final. Sometimes, though, he struggled against three-man midfields and his limited passing range hampered England.

Kalvin Phillips – 8 out of 10

Despite not being certain of a place in the squad a few months ago, only Pickford and Stones played more minutes than Phillips who emerged as a tenacious and indefatigable pressing machine and cemented his place in squads to come.

Jordan Henderson – 6 out of 10

A strange tournament for such a senior player. Some of his performances as a substitute were good, some could have been better and together, they were not enough to convince Southgate that Phillips should be switched out. At least he scored his first England goal.

Mason Mount – 6 out of 10

Something of a missed opportunity for a player who arrived at the tournament as a Champions League winner. The enforced self-isolation did not help Mount but he struggled for influence upon his return, particularly in the semi-final and final.

Phil Foden – 6.5 out of 10

Bright in glimpses against Scotland and Croatia but not enough to nail down his place and was barely seen from then onwards. An impressive cameo against Denmark might have earned him minutes in the final, if not for an unfortunate foot injury.

Bukayo Saka – 7.5 out of 10

Where to start? Man of the match against the Czech Republic, helped break Germany’s early spell of dominance, recovered from a nervous start against Denmark but struggled to make an impact in the final. The penalty miss was cruel but will not define him.

Jack Grealish – 6.5 out of 10

The darling of the crowd but only an impact substitute in his manager’s eyes. Grealish’s cameos never quite lived up to the extraordinary hype but he showed enough – particularly against Germany – to deserve more minutes.

Raheem Sterling – 9 out of 10

England’s player of the tournament, despite a muted display in the final. Put his Manchester City struggles behind him to finish with three goals and an assist, while his direct running at defences was an ideal release valve when protecting a lead.

Marcus Rashford – 6 out of 10

Hard to judge, having played less than 90 minutes over the course of the tournament, and that was probably for the best after a long, gruelling club season with its fair share of injury issues. The penalty took courage and was close but, unfortunately, not close enough.

Jadon Sancho – 6.5 out of 10

Another who never really had the opportunity to impress but was bright when finally trusted against Ukraine. His penalty miss was unexpected, given a perfect record at Dortmund this season, and will sadly define his tournament.

Harry Kane – 7 out of 10

Kane spoke of peaking at the right time this summer, and that seemed to be happening after recovering from a poor start to hit four in three games, but to not have a single shot on goal during the final tells its own story.