Gareth Southgate’s first match as England interim manager was a 2-0 win over Malta in October 2016. Few supporters could have predicted that he would go on to take the team to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and two European Championship finals.
Here is what happened to the players who started that game.
Joe Hart remained England’s first-choice goalkeeper despite a difficult Euro 2016, but Jordan Pickford displaced him before the 2018 World Cup. Hart’s final international appearance came in 2017.
He ended a 12-year spell with Manchester City by joining Burnley permanently in 2018, making 24 appearances in all competitions. He finished his playing career at Celtic and is now a prominent BBC pundit.
Kyle Walker was one of only three players from the line-up selected for England’s Euro 2020 squad. After moving from Tottenham to Manchester City in 2017, he won six Premier League titles, one Champions League, four League Cups and two FA Cups.
He kept his place ahead of Kieran Trippier, Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and at 36 is now playing in the Championship with Burnley.
Gary Cahill won his second Premier League title with Chelsea in 2016-17, was named in the PFA Team of the Year and replaced John Terry as captain. He withdrew from international consideration in 2018 unless England faced an injury crisis.
Released by Chelsea in 2019 after seven-and-a-half seasons, he later played for Crystal Palace and helped Bournemouth secure promotion before being released. Cahill retired in November 2022.
John Stones recovered from a difficult first season at Manchester City and helped them win the Premier League with 100 points in 2017-18. A costly mistake against Holland in the UEFA Nations League in 2019 brought intense criticism, while he also lost his place at City.
His partnership with Harry Maguire became central to the Southgate era. Stones also played for England under Thomas Tuchel at the 2026 World Cup, then left City for Inter Milan.
Ryan Bertrand, once a dependable left-back at Southampton, missed the 2018 World Cup squad. “I played wing-back in a five at the end of the season, which is how England play,” he told the Daily Mail. “I also played in a central three for Southampton with Virgil van Dijk and Jose Fonte, and we went on Southampton’s record clean sheet run, six on the bounce.
“I played left midfield in a Champions League final for Chelsea. It is perhaps an oversight in the manager’s analysis and I find that hard to take.”
Bertrand did not regain his England place, was relegated with Leicester in 2023 and retired 12 months later.
Danny Rose endured injuries and a difficult end to his Tottenham career before joining Watford on a free transfer in 2021. He retired in 2024.
Jordan Henderson developed from a much-criticised player at Liverpool and England into a title-winning captain. He won the Champions League in 2019 and led Liverpool to their first league title in 30 years.
A move to Saudi Arabia in 2023 did not derail his career. He returned to Europe with Ajax within six months, played for Brentford last season and now represents Chelsea. Henderson was included in England’s 2026 World Cup squad, although his only contribution was an injured wrist during celebrations after the match against Mexico.
Dele Alli has not played for England since June 2019. “The only person I blame is myself,” he told Goal in July 2021. “I should be performing at a level where it is difficult to not put me in the team or not play me. I don’t blame anyone but myself.”
Once considered one of English football’s brightest talents, Alli’s career subsequently declined.
Wayne Rooney, who had played with Southgate for England, was nearing the end of his international career when Southgate took charge. England’s all-time leading scorer retired from international football in August 2017, returning for one match a year later.
After finishing his playing career at Derby County, Rooney managed Derby, DC United, Birmingham and Plymouth. He is now a pundit.
Theo Walcott was dropped from the England squad on his 28th birthday despite impressing for Arsenal in 2016-17.
“He wasn’t chuffed to bits to get the call,” Southgate said in March 2017. “And I understand that. Did he argue his case? Yes. Quite rightly, he said: ‘I’m one of the leading goalscorers in the league.’
“I don’t mind being challenged on that. I totally respect that. I don’t expect him to be happy but I’ve got to make decisions and I think it was the right thing to call him to talk that through – even if the timing wasn’t great.”
Walcott ended his career with Everton and Southampton and now works in punditry.
Marcus Rashford has had an unsettled decade, moving between being one of Manchester United’s leading players and an outcast at Old Trafford. He returned to United in 2026 after spending the previous season on loan at Barcelona, having scored 19 goals in 78 appearances.
Jesse Lingard made his senior England debut against Malta and became an important player for Southgate, starting at the 2018 World Cup. After losing form at Manchester United, he excelled on loan at West Ham in 2021. His final England appearance came soon afterwards.
His move to newly promoted Nottingham Forest in 2022 proved unsuccessful. After two years with FC Seoul in South Korea, he now plays for Corinthians.
Daniel Sturridge was increasingly affected by injuries during his final years at Liverpool and joined Trabzonspor on a free transfer in 2019. He is now a Sky pundit.
Jamie Vardy retired from international football in August 2018 to focus on Leicester City. He won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2019-20 and helped Leicester win the FA Cup in 2021.
After relegation in 2025, Vardy spent a year with Cremonese in Italy before joining Burnley.
