Brimming with talent, one could make a case that Gareth Southgate could field two starting XIs for England. Naturally, competition, particularly for the attacking positions, remained fierce. With Rashford, Grealish, and Sterling snubbed, for Rio Ferdinand, the perfect three are Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, and Anthony Gordon. Surprisingly, there is no place for Cole Palmer in his starting XI, let alone the front 3.

On the FIVE podcast, Rio Ferdinand explained his preferred choice for the attacking unit of England. The former defender said, “Saka on the right and I’d start Gordon on the left.” Despite acknowledging Palmer as a ‘great‘ player, he elaborated, “I don’t want everyone coming to the ball.” England is blessed with abundant playmakers like Kane, Rice, Foden, and Saka, so a strong runner in Anthony Gordon would make sense.

The former Manchester United man also had a message for coach Gareth Southgate. Ferdinand said, “Be bold. Go with what you think at the beginning but if it’s not working don’t sit there and be wrong.” It seems the former defender ants Southgate to be confident and flexible with regard to tactics.

Speaking of tactics, Rio Ferdinand had Rice, Foden, and Bellingham as his midfield trio. But, what about the mercurial Trent Alexander Arnold? Ferdinand offered an interesting insight.

Rio Ferdinand agrees with former teammate regarding Trent Alexander Arnold

Recently, Wayne Rooney revealed that he wouldn’t start Trent at the Euros. The Manchester United legend added that while Trent is ‘gifted’, he is not the best defensively. As a result, he prefers Kieren Trippier and Kyle Walker as the full-backs. There was no space for Trent in midfield as Rooney opted for Rice, Foden, and Bellingham. His teammate Rio Ferdinand has a similar view.

The pundit added that Trent is a player that can come in and influence games. Yet, Rio Ferdinand, prefers Bellingham and Foden ahead of Rice. While he admitted that Trent has a ‘ridiculous’ passing range, the pundit is unsure of Trent in the middle considering his relative inexperience playing that position. With the Euros being a high-pressure affair, Ferdinand does have a point.