THE EUROS kicked off last night and I am sure we are going to be in for a great tournament over the next month.

I will be doing a bit of work as I have a few speaking engagements to do while the competition is on.

I am certainly going to try and take in the games when I can. Naturally, like everybody else, I am especially interested in following England.

I am also going to be looking out for the players connected with Saints.

Jan Bednarek and the Scottish boys - Stuart Armstrong and Che Adams - will all be hoping to impress on the international stage.

Given how things have gone over the recent major tournaments, I think it's now time where England have to be looking to win it.

It's going to be fascinating to see whether we can get over the line.

I have not seen or caught up with Gareth Southgate for many years, but I have played against him as a player and it is great to see the job he has done.

He has gone on to do so well with the England set-ups. It has been good to see his development from when we were players.

It is a huge tournament for him and us as a nation because we have the background, the pedigree, the squad, and the players to do well.

There have been a few interesting debates about some of his selections. Ultimately that's the big decision that falls on the manager.

Picking the squad is one thing but picking an actual starting XI and having a group that can go on and win a major tournament is going to be huge.

Looking at England's chances, I do believe we are now all geared up to go one better than at EURO 2020.

Looking at the quality of the squad, the talent that's coming through, the younger players, and the experiences such as losing out to Italy in the last final on penalties.

I think when you come through those sorts of experiences, it gives you a depth of knowledge, having been in that position before.

If you find yourself in the same position again in the future, now in a tournament like this, then you'll be better equipped to come out the other side.

Clearly, we are all going to be following the progress of Bednarek, Adams, and Armstrong also - despite Stuey's imminent departure.

Scotland's Adams and Armstrong are in a tough group and it will also be a great test for Bednarek, who has to contend with the Netherlands and France.

It is such a big thing to play at a major tournament for the players and their families - and even the clubs they're associated with.

We have had it in the past where Jose Fonte and Cedric Soares came back as champions with Portugal in 2016.

It gives everyone a boost and a lift when your club players go away and do well on the international stage.

It is also an exciting time for players who are not involved. When I was a player, I remember being on a family holiday and trying to find a local bar showing the tournaments.

Even though I may have been in a sort of relaxation and switch-off mode, I still had an interest and wanted to follow the sport.

I imagine that is the same for the current players who are not involved.

There will certainly be players during the tournament that we will probably look at and go, we would love to have him in a Saints shirt next season as it is a platform for players, isn't it?

We have got a brilliant summer to look forward to with the Olympics as well. I am sure there will be some sort of local representation that we will be able to follow there.

From a Saints perspective, there is also something to be excited about on Tuesday when the new season's Premier League fixtures are announced.

It will finally be a reality to see what it is going to look like to be back in the top flight and fans will be able to plan big away days.

I am sure it is a date every Saints fan is looking at and we will all be checking our devices on Tuesday morning to see when those big games are.