James Murray provides his England Euro 2020 players ratings.

Despite suffering Euro 2020 heartache, this summer’s tournament proved a roaring success for England’s young lions. 

Gareth Southgate’s side led the country to just its second-ever competitive final – a huge feat for a nation that has been clamouring for a chance at glory ever since Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy 55 years ago. 

But, following memorable victories over Ukraine, Denmark and arch-rivals Germany on their road to the final, the tournament ended in familiar fashion for England in a penalty shootout defeat at Wembley. 

The story was very different this time around for the Three Lions, though, as their performances captivated the hearts of many across the nation and restored national pride. 

That simply wouldn’t have been possible without some impressive displays from a number of key players. Here, James Murray provides his England player ratings. 

England Euro 2020 player ratings

Jordan Pickford – 9 

England’s number one had a superb tournament. Having been heavily scrutinised for his performances for Everton last season, Pickford hit back at his critics in some style this summer. 

The spirited shot-stopper broke a European Championships record after keeping five consecutive clean sheets up until his team’s semi-final encounter with Denmark. Alongside scooping the tournament’s Golden Glove award, Pickford put in a fine display against Italy in the final, making some important saves and keeping out two spot-kicks in the shootout. 

Kyle Walker – 7

While Kyle Walker wasn’t as effective going forward as he usually is for club side Manchester City, the right-back put in several solid defensive performances. 

As always, his pace proved an important asset for a defence largely lacking in pace, while his ability to play comfortably in a back three offered Southgate the opportunity to experiment with different formations. 

Kieran Trippier – 7 

While Kieran Tripper would’ve liked to have played more minutes in the tournament, his experience and flexibility provided his side with added depth in the fullback positions. After getting the nod to play right wing-back in the final, the Atletico Madrid man put in an inch-perfect ball that led to Luke Shaw’s opener. 

John Stones – 8 

John Stones continued the impressive form he showed throughout last season for Manchester City. Having previously faced criticism for making mistakes against top-quality opposition, the centre-back looked calm and composed on the ball throughout the Euros as he played every minute of every game. 

He also adapted well to playing alongside different centre-half partners – in Tyrone Mings and Harry Maguire – before later being utilised as the central figure in England’s back three formation. 

Harry Maguire – 9 

Although England defended well in Maguire’s absence in the opening two games of the tournament, the Manchester United man’s return in the final group stage fixture against the Czech Republic added even more stability to the backline. 

Despite being largely thought of as a commanding centre-half, whose best attribute is his aerial presence, his ability to play out from the back proved to be an important asset when attempting to break through the opposition’s defensive shape. He also scored a fine header against Ukraine and hammered home his penalty in the shootout defeat to Italy. 

Luke Shaw – 9 

Since bursting onto the scene at Southampton and making the 2014 World Cup squad, it’s been a long journey for Luke Shaw following numerous injuries over the years. But, on the back of an excellent campaign for Manchester United, he had a superb Euros and was the tournament’s best left-back. 

Shaw was a rock defensively and proved to be a useful outlet going forwards. His thunderous half-volley in the final had England fans dreaming football was coming home for a large portion of the final. 

Kalvin Phillips – 8 

Kalvin Phillips’ inclusion in England’s starting lineups has been a topic of debate since Southgate handed the Leeds man his international debut last year. While there are parts of his game that are still a bit rusty at the top level, he can be proud of his performances. 

The gutsy central midfielder didn’t shirk any challenges throughout the tournament and his combative style of play set the tone and proved integral to England’s press. His best outing came in the opening game against Croatia, where he set up Raheem Sterling’s match-winning goal. 

Declan Rice – 7 

Declan Rice forged a decent partnership with Phillips in the heart of midfield. While the robust central midfielder didn’t look as comfortable on the ball as he usually does for West Ham, he wasn’t afraid to put his body on the line and broke up play expertly.  

Rice was at his best in the last-16 tie against Germany. He kept his composure well after picking up an early yellow card and ensured that midfield maestro Toni Kroos was unable to have much of an impact on the game. 

Mason Mount – 5 

Following an impressive season for Chelsea, much was expected of Mason Mount heading into the tournament. The attacking midfielder has been a key figure in Southgate’s side over the past year and is often charged with the task of linking up play between the midfield and the forward players. 

This time around it just wasn’t meant to be for Mount, though. After an encounter with Scotland’s Billy Gilmour, who tested positive for Covid following the clash with England, he was forced to isolate and missed crucial training time with the rest of the squad. 

Mount didn’t seem to settle back into the tournament after that and will likely be disappointed with his contribution. 

Raheem Sterling – 9 

Heading into the Euros, there were very few England fans that wanted to see Sterling make the starting lineup following a below-par season at Manchester City. But the forward was sensational from the first to the last minute of the tournament and completely justified Southgate’s faith in him.  

Sterling’s three goals proved crucial to England winning their group and making it to the latter stages of the tournament, while his ability to run at defenders and cause havoc added a different dimension to the side. 

Harry Kane – 7 

Following the high standards Harry Kane has set at international and club level over the past few years, the captain probably faced the most pressure to deliver of all the England players. 

Having been starved of opportunities in front of goal throughout the group stages, the striker finally announced himself in the tournament against Germany, where he scored his first goal of the competition and England’s second in the 2-0 victory. 

Although he got on the scoresheet four times in his final four matches, Kane will be disappointed to not have had more of an impact in the final.