Home » EURO 2024: Southgate credits Ed Sheeran behind England’s bond

EURO 2024: Southgate credits Ed Sheeran behind England’s bond

England coach Gareth Southgate credited singer Ed Sheeran behind the team’s bond ahead of their EURO 2024 semifinal duel with Netherlands.

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Southgate says England bonded through Ed Sheeran

Sheeran had a 30-minute private concert at England’s base in Blankenhain the day after England beat Slovakia.

Southgate said his side enjoyed their down time, and it helped England’s team chemistry.

“You can bond and we’ve been very fortunate that we’ve had Ed Sheeran in to sing and it was great,” Southgate said.

“The players had a couple of beers before the last game. You can bond in that way but when you’re having to head the ball out your box in the 92nd minute and you’re having to find a goal in the 96th minute there’s nothing stronger than that for building the spirit of a team.”

England ready to make history

England were billed as one of the pre-tournament favorites but produced a series of underwhelming performances.

This prompted a lot of jeers from the England fans, as Southgate had to deal with all the external noise.

Nonetheless, the Three Lions are heading to the semifinals to face the Netherlands.

Southgate said England is ready to make history by reaching their first final on foreign soil.

“One of the strengths of us over the last seven, eight years has been less fear, less inhibition. But I think at the beginning of the tournament, the expectation weighed quite heavily and of course the external noise was louder than it’s ever been.”

“I felt we couldn’t quite get ourselves in the right place and, in the end, what was impressive was that the players ground it out, they ground results out and found ways to win.”

“I felt that shifted once we got into the knockout stage and definitely in the quarter-final. I thought we saw a better version of us with the ball, freer.”

“I’m not sure any of the messaging changed but I just felt the group changed. You’re now into that moment in the tournament where it’s ‘what’s possible, what’s achievable’, rather than ‘what might go wrong’.”

“That’s different for players, for an athlete. So, this is now the chance to make history, which we’ve enjoyed doing that, a chance to get to a first final not held in England – the first time England will have ever done that.”

“We’re trying to break new ground. That’s difficult and it’s complicated, but the players have responded brilliantly and the resilience that’s been built.”