Newcastle United’s St James’ Park development will delight fans.
The Football Association has announced intentions to send England on the road for two pre-tournament matches in the run-up to Euro 2024, with St James’ Park being one of the destinations.
According to Mail Sport, one of England’s two pre-tournament games will be played away from Wembley Stadium, with Newcastle the frontrunner to host the other. St James’ Park has a long history with the England national team, serving as one of the eight venues for Euro 96 and is poised to host the European Championships in 2028.
However, it has not hosted an England game since March 2005, when Sven Goran Eriksson’s England defeated Azerbaijan 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier. David Beckham and Steven Gerrard scored the goals, and future signing Michael Owen was named to the starting lineup. Winger Kieran Dyer made a brief appearance from the bench, while midfielder Jermaine Jenas was named as an unused substitute.
Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson were recently named to Gareth Southgate’s squad, and players like Joe Willock, Anthony Gordon, and Jamaal Lascelles have previously represented the Three Lions at youth level. Other possible candidates include Nick Pope and Harvey Barnes, both of whom have struggled for England call-ups in recent years.
The England road game next summer is anticipated to be the first of two warm-up matches before the European Championships, which begin on June 14.
The final pre-tournament game will be played in London’s national stadium.
The FA has yet to declare the location of England’s encounter away from Wembley, but while St James’ isn’t confirmed as the venue, it is a strong possibility.
Other than Wembley, Old Trafford was the last English stadium to host the national team, with England defeating North Macedonia there in June.
The Premier League season concludes on Sunday, May 19, 2024, however due to potential European obligations for teams, some players may not be allowed to join England until the Champions League final on June 1st.
This suggests that a possible Three Lions warm-up friendly will take place after June 2nd, prior to the competition in Germany.