Wembley Stadium will be packed on Sunday, with some 66,000 supporters taking to their seats for the Euro 2020 final against Italy.
But while life is returning to normal for fans, the England team have been required to live in a bubble, separated from their families since the start of the tournament because of strict Covid rules.
Gareth Southgate’s players haven’t even been able to enjoy a hug with their loved-ones for more than a month, despite their heroic performances uniting the nation.
In a sign of the times, Three Lions captain Harry Kane‘s wife Kate posted a touching selfie on Instagram with the Tottenham striker after the team’s victory against Denmark – from a socially safe distance.
The childhood sweethearts have three children together, Ivy, Vivienne and Louis.
Raheem Sterling had to persuade a Wembley steward to allow him a few, fleeting seconds with his son Thiago after helping England to a 2-0 win over Germany in the last 16.
But the players know the importance of the sacrifices – a coronavirus outbreak in the camp could scupper their hopes ahead of the country’s first major final in 55 years.
Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell have already been forced to self-isolate for 10 days last month after spending around 20 minutes with Scotland’s Billy Glimour – their Chelsea teammate – just before he tested positive for Covid.
Family first!
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Love Island, Fortnite and Uno entertaining players
Former England captain Steven Gerrard once described life on international duty as like living in a ‘five-star prison’ because of the rigidity imposed by previous managers.
But Southgate is a believer that the support of players’ families is really important to their performance. At the World Cup in Russia in 2018 the team were given time to see loved ones during the championship.
It is Uefa’s strict Covid-19 protocols that demand that teams must enter their own bubble five days before their first match and remain there until the conclusion of their final match.
England were given an impromptu day off in 8 June thanks to their manager’s late decision following their friendly against Romania in Middlesbrough, enabling them to see their families once more before entering the FA’s European Championship bubble.
But now alone without their usual support network, the lads have video calling but it can’t beat face-to-face interaction.
Staying at the Hilton hotel on the grounds, the players have had to entertain themselves within the confines of the training campus at St George’s Park, in Burton. They have access to an indoor pool, a spa and a bar.
Watching Love Island seems to be one method to unwind with some players. Jack Grealish posted an snap on social media referencing one of the contestants and Conor Coady and Mason Mount have also been seen on sofas watching the reality TV programme.
Jordan Pickford has been unwinding with the Fortnite video game and has also taken part in an “e-Soccer aid” Fifa tournament to raise money for Unicef. Manchester defender Kyle Walker told an England video diary that he and Kieran Trippier have “made it our thing by the end of the tournament . . . to be on the same level” as the goalkeeper.
Meanwhile for Jadon Sancho, it’s been traditional card game Uno that’s helping him relax. “I’m very good,” the Borussia Dortmund winger told Radio 5 Live’s Daily Euros podcast. “Luke Shaw is very good. He’s tactical, he reads your mind. I have been playing basketball with the boys, table tennis, pool.
“Then we have a nice spa, I have my PlayStation with my boys back home and we have been playing Uno as well. You are never really bored here.”
Showing support from a distance
Of course, the WAGS and families are still trying to show their support from a distance the best way they can.
Across the road from Wembley Stadium, a champagne reception, three-course meal, and entertainment are arranged for them at the Hilton Hotel before kick-off. But with social distancing in place, it’s not quite the gathering it would normally be. Each family has a designated table they must stick to on match days.
The players would not in normal times be able to pop in before the game anyway, but with interaction forbidden pitchside their absence must still be sorely felt by the squad.
Photos of the players hang on the walls at the private dining area in the Hilton, reports The Athletic. The families’ tables are personalised with the name and shirt number of their team member and video footage of England’s greatest moments helps to set the scene.
However, the WAGS are still managing to bond. Pickford’s fiancée Megan Davison, 25, took to Instagram to share videos as she joined Maguire’s fiancée Fern Hawkins on a party bus decorated with balloons and flags to drive from Cheshire to London.
The women could be seen blasting football anthem Three Lions, before heading to Box Park bar where they enjoyed pre-match drinks.
Here’s hoping there’s cause for us all to pop the Champers on Sunday.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/36t4Sqc
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