Gareth Southgate explains decision to use Kyle Walker in back three | OneFootball

Gareth Southgate raised quite a few eyebrows opting to use Kyle Walker on the right side of the back three, while Kieran Trippier featured on the right flank.

The England manager’s strategy played out brilliantly, as England beat the Netherlands 1-0 – for the first time since Euro 1996 – in Amsterdam on Friday.

Describing the reasoning behind the tactics, Southgate credited both Walker’s abilities and a Manchester City teammate.

“He has the attributes to play the position really well. You need players that are comfortable at defending in wide areas and used to using the ball in those areas. He’s a fantastic athlete, so he added more pace to our defence.

“When I see him play for Manchester City, he ends up in that area anyway – we knew his relationship with John Stones is one that is worked on daily, so we knew it would be a strength.”

England ended a brutal stretch of seven matches without a win against the Dutch.