There were six Liverpool representatives at Euro 2020, and all players made it to the knockout stages with their respective nations.
Each player had different experiences throughout the tournament. Reds captain Jordan Henderson recovered from injury to play a substitute role for England as they reached the final. Spanish Midfielder Thiago Alcântara played a similar role for La Rioja as they reached the semi-final.
Welsh duo Neco Williams and Harry Wilson played a part in the Dragon’s run to the last 16. However, Portuguese striker Diogo Jota and Swiss playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri arguably had the best tournaments of any Liverpool player this summer. Liverpool fans will be hoping that these players can carry their form from the tournament which is due to start again in early August, so if you want to back them in the Premier League check out this overview of betting sign up offers.
Xherdan Shaqiri
With three goals and one assist, Xherdan Shaqiri provided more goal contributions than any other Liverpool player at Euro 2020.
Shaqiri often set the tempo for Switzerland during the tournament, with much of the build-up play passing through him. He started the Euros brightly in the group stages, assisting Breel Embolo for Switzerland’s first goal in a 1-1 draw against Wales. Shaqiri then put in a man of the match performance in the 3-1 win over Turkey before the Swiss advanced to the knockout stages.
Shaqiri maintained a high level of consistency as the tournament progressed, showing composure to help his side keep the ball in an emphatic 3-3 draw with France, which the Swiss won on penalties. The playmaker was then named captain for Switzerland’s quarter-final tie against Spain, where Shaqiri found the net again to comeback against La Rioja to take the game to penalties.
Although Shaqiri is not a regular start at Anfield, his performances at Euro 2020 were the most consistent of any Liverpool player.
Diogo Jota
Diogo Jota had a tough 2020/21 season, which was stunted by injuries. However, Jota recovered in time to lead the line for Portugal at Euro 2020.
Jota started every match for his nation in the tournament and showed plenty of attacking intent early on, attempted three shots on goal in Portugal’s 3-0 win against Hungary.
The Red’s striker came into his own in the next match. Despite losing 4-2 to Germany, Jota was Portugal’s leading player, assisting Cristiano Ronaldo’s early goal before a German onslaught. Jota grabbed a consolation goal late on and was his nation’s most dangerous player in this fixture.
But Jota drifted out of form in Portugal’s final two matches. Hie didn’t register a shot on goal in the 2-2 draw with France and was ineffective in the 1-0 last 16 loss to Belgium, leading to a 70th-minute hook from manager Fernando Santos.
Jota showed glimpses of quality in Euro 2020. He was utilised in a wide left position, leaving Ronaldo to flourish upfront, which may have lessened the Liverpool man’s impact.
Jordan Henderson
Although Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson struggled to break into the England starting 11 during Euro 2020, he provided resilience and rigidness to sure up his side.
Henderson was limited to substitute appearances due to the consistency of Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice in midfield. However, Henderson got 45 minutes against the Czech Republic in the group stages and hardly put a foot wrong, helping England to top their group and advance to the knockout stages.
The midfielder was a late substitute in the 2-0 win over Germany, but his best performance was during the 4-0 against Ukraine. Henderson played the final third of the quarter-final and impacted the match, scoring a thumping header to add a fourth and see off the tie, helping England make the semi-finals. It was Henderson’s first-ever international goal, ending his spell of 61 caps without an England goal.
In the semi-final, Henderson again showed experience and composure, coming on during extra time to help England reach their first major final in 55 years. No player had a better pass competition rate than Henderson in the match (96%), providing a cool head when the Three Lions needed it most.
