'HARD WORK AHEAD' FOR THREE LIONS

Southgate says England far from finished product, but he’s confident goals will come

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If England tempered lofty expectations as favourites for Euro 2024 with an unconvincing 1-0 win over Serbia, the Three Lions will hope to make a firmer statement when they clash with Denmark on June 20.

Marauding midfielder Jude Bellingham's first-half goal was the one bright spot in their Group C opener that likely sent Gareth Southgate back to the drawing board, as he continues to figure out how to make all his talented pieces E fit.

"This team are still coming together," the England boss said. "Everybody's expecting us to waltz through, but there's a lot of hard work ahead."

On the heels of his outstanding season at Real Madrid, the 20-yearold Bellingham showed that he is ready to shoulder heavy expectations, joining fellow Englishman Michael Owen as the only players to score at both a European Championship and a World Cup before the age of 21.

Southgate was delighted with the player's impact.

"He writes his own script," the 53-year-old said. "The timing of his runs... and I think all of our forward players looked really good. I am confident we will score goals."