Seagraves dismisses talks of Spain being favourites, says England have more ‘experience’

New Delhi: Spain and England are two teams that have had a very different journey to the final of the Euro 2024. Spain are currently the top scorer in the tournament whereas England have struggled to find the back of the net. Although Spain do appear to be the better team heading into the final on Sunday, in an exclusive conversation with IANS, former English footballer Mark Seagraves has dismissed all suggestions of Spain being the favourites due to England having more ‘experience,’ in the finals.

“Spain have been amazing they are scoring goals they look really good on the eye, but England have got the experience they've got the experience of playing in a final albeit in the Euros however many years that was, three, four years two or three years ago they've had the semifinal of the World Cup experience as well,” Seagraves told IANS. England have reached their second consecutive Euro finals and their first on foreign soil. The side suffered a defeat in penalty shootouts in the finals of the 2020 Euros at their home venue Wembley Stadium against Italy. The side is looking to end their 58-year drought in major tournaments with their last win coming in 1966. The side will be facing an electric yet inexperienced Spanish side.

“A lot of these players on the Spanish team are very young. You look at Jamal, he’s 16 and he hasn't played in a major final for an international team Neither has Nico Williams, neither has Fabian Ruiz, there's a lot of players that are playing well at the moment but haven't got that experience so I understand that Spain are the favourites but if you look at who is favourite on all the bookmakers lists it's actually England,” he added.

“If they win and he (Lamine Yamal) scores another goal like that, of course, he's going to be part of that (Player of the tournament). I think that the player of the tournament will be the one who's in the winning team."

"I just think he's out there for his age um having said that he's played nearly 60 odd to 100 games for Barcelona so he's not inexperienced domestically but he's had such a great tournament as have all of the front three for Spain. He'll be one of the players that will be in line for the player of the tournament,” concluded the former Liverpool defender.