England’s 56-year wait for the World Cup to return to its shores came to an end on Saturday as the Three Lions were defeated 2-1 by defending champions France in the quarter-finals of the tournament in Qatar.
Many will see the exit as a disappointment considering the squad England currently have, whilst others will be proud of how the team attacked France and fought until the end but lost out when it came down to the fine margins.
Gareth Southgate’s future is now up in the air in the aftermath of Saturday’s defeat as a more experienced manager could be the last piece of the puzzle to take this talented group of players over the line – although the current boss has done exceptionally compared to some of his predecessors.
That group showed its quality in Qatar, therefore, here are the player ratings for the main Three Lions stars that took England to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
Jordan Pickford – 7.5
Everton’s Jordan Pickford has very rarely let Gareth Southgate down and that continued in Qatar. The goalkeeper’s best game was certainly against Senegal in the last 16 where he made some big saves whilst the game was still 0-0. Should have saved Aurelien Tchouameni’s strike against France, which was a big moment in England’s campaign.
Kyle Walker – 7.5
Considering the preparation he had in the lead-up to the tournament with regard to his injury, Kyle Walker did exceptionally on the biggest of stages. His main job during the tournament was to keep Kylian Mbappe quiet and the right-back passed the test with flying colours – even though England lost the match.
John Stones – 8.5
John Stones is now without a doubt one of the best centre-backs in world football and he showed his quality in Qatar. The Man City star was critical to England’s build-up play and was solid without the ball as well. The 28-year-old had a great tournament overall but could have done better for Olivier Giroud’s winner vs France.
Harry Maguire – 8
Although not a regular at Man United anymore, Harry Maguire was very good in Qatar and continues to perform well in an England shirt. The centre-back was a huge threat for set-pieces and was so close to scoring against France. This tournament should aid him in getting a new club in the summer.
Luke Shaw – 6.5
A bit of an up-and-down tournament for Luke Shaw, who showed his quality and weaknesses in Qatar. Provided a threat down England’s left-hand side but…
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