Euro 2020

DECLAN RICE and Mason Mount cannot wait for the madness of a heaving Wembley — and to take England one step beyond.There will be 60,000 watching tomorrow night’s semi-final with Denmark.
Best buds Mason Mount and Declan Rice are relishing the clash at WembleyCredit: Getty
And the Three Lions aim to reach their first-ever Euros final.
West Ham midfielder Rice, 22, said: “Denmark is a massive chance to create history — the first England team since 1966 to play in a final if we get there.
“To get one step beyond would be unbelievable and I’ve never seen a group of lads so focused on the job.
“We’re going to thrive on it and go out there and do the business.”
Chelsea ace Mount’s last game at Wembley before having to isolate due to Covid rules was against Scotland, in front of a crowd of 21,000.
Mount, 22, said: “This is going to be next level.
“Those little moments just get you even more hyped-up for the game and, as Dec said, we are ready to perform.”

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60,000 fans will cram into Wembley to watch England’s clash with DenmarkCredit: AP

Mount and Rice, pals since they met as kids in Chelsea’s academy, were speaking on Lions’ Den connected by EE.
Reflecting on the 4-0 quarter-final victory over Ukraine, midfielder Mount said: “It was really special because we’ve known each other for a long time.
“So to step out with him in a big game like that is just something you dream of.”
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Harry Kane insists winning Euro 2020 with England ‘would surpass anything at club level’ as captain prepares for Denmark More

IF you’re wondering why Luke Shaw is performing like Roberto Carlos now, have a listen to the bloke standing alongside him. Because the constant demands of Harry Maguire, Shaw’s Manchester United skipper and England team-mate, have played a major role in transforming his close friend into a rampaging left-back.
Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire celebrate England’s win in RomeCredit: Eyevine
Maguire, perhaps the most vocal leader in the Premier League, talks a lot about England’s players making ‘demands’ of each other.
Shaw, 25, has been one of England’s standout players at the Euros, with three assists in two knockout matches – including a free-kick delivered on to Maguire’s famously massive head for the second goal in their 4-0 quarter-final thumping of Ukraine.
And the way Maguire speaks about Shaw says a lot about the high- standards culture which has propelled Gareth Southgate’s men into Wednesday’s semi-final against Denmark.
Maguire, 28, said: “I do put a lot of demands on Luke. I do not accept him playing alongside me and playing safe and not getting forward because for Manchester United he is a big attacking threat.
“Him creating chances for us gives us the best opportunity to win football matches.
“I really expect Luke to push himself because I know, and see every day, what he has got. I see his attributes and his ability and he has absolutely everything to be one of the best left-backs in the world.
“He has shown it in the Premier League all year and now he is showing the world.
“I hope he keeps improving and keeps pushing himself. And I am sure that he will.
Shaw was a revelation against Ukraine, providing two assistsCredit: AP
“I would say the main difference within Luke now is his mentality, in terms of pushing himself and the demands he is putting on himself to not just be six out of ten in each game, not to play comfortable, to push on and push himself to be the best player on the pitch.
“Because there’s no reason why he can’t do that with all the attributes and ability that he has.
“It is working well for both club and country. We have a really good  relationship and we are striving to improve.
“I put demands on myself and others. Luke probably gets a little bit more of  it than everybody else because he  is stood alongside me for 90 minutes.
“If Luke is playing well, I am playing well because we are so close to each other and covering each other. It is just the same with my centre-half partners.”
Maguire claims England are far better prepared for this semi-final than they were for the 2-1 defeat by Croatia in the last-four of the World Cup in Russia in 2018.
And he reckons they are ready to be braver against the Danes.
Maguire celebrates scoring in England’s thrashing of UkraineCredit: Sportimage
He said: “We’ll probably have more belief going into the Denmark game than what we did in the Croatia semi-final.
“We hadn’t been to a semi-final in so long as a country, so the belief wasn’t there – I’m sure the fans are believing more now. 
“As players and staff and everyone involved in the bubble, we’re all believing as well.
“You have seen in this tournament from the first game to the Ukraine game, there have been a lot of differences in the principles we are demanding of each other.
“We are in a better place now than in 2018 – but we still have a long way to go.
“The experience in general of having played a semi-final of a major tournament will help.”
Asked what England have learned from that Croatia defeat, Maguire replied: “Could we have been more brave or composed? And take the ball when we were leading the game, rather than sit back and soak up the pressure?
“Is that something we could have done better? We have looked at it over the three-year period and, for sure, we’re in a better place now.”

Maguire feared he might not play any part in these Euros after the ankle injury he suffered in early May, admitting his recovery was ‘quicker than we might have expected’.
But having featured in the last three of England’s record-breaking seven straight clean sheets, Maguire has also crucially played a part in an improvement in his team’s set-piece ability.
England scored the majority of their goals from set-pieces in Russia, but had not done so at the Euros until Maguire and Jordan Henderson netted in  Saturday’s quarter-final.
Maguire said: “Set-pieces were one thing going into the game with Ukraine that we spoke about needing to improve on.

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“It was massively effective in Russia, so we knew that coming into this tournament set-plays would have a big part to play and we’d have to improve.
“I work hard on my timing and execution. It was a great ball by Luke and ever since I set eyes on it, I knew I could get clean contact. 
“It was so close to the goal that I just needed a clean contact and luckily it found the corner.
“We do work hard on them. We executed it well against Ukraine. I think in the next two games, if we’re going to be successful, we might need to execute another one.”
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HARRY MAGUIRE has vowed to repay Gareth Southgate’s faith in him – and help England reach the Euros final on Wednesday night.The England manager was steadfast in his support for the Manchester United captain after he was arrested on holiday in Mykonos last August – and when he was sent off in the 1-0 Wembley defeat by Denmark in October.
Harry Maguire is ready to repay Gareth Southgate’s support by sending England to the Euro 2020 finalCredit: Kevin Quigley/EURO20 Newspapers
Southgate stuck by Maguire after some sticky situations last year, including a red card against semi-final opponents DenmarkCredit: AP
Maguire was convicted by a Greek court but, after an appeal, Southgate recalled him to the England squad, only to see him red-carded after half an hour of a Nations League clash with tomorrow’s opponents.
And Maguire said: “I never feared for my international career. Without getting into too much detail of what went off last summer, I knew where I stood in regards to that.
“I always knew what went off. I’m totally over it. It was a tough time, for sure, but I’ve moved on.
“Gareth’s support of me has been brilliant since I made my debut for England. Ever since, when I’ve been available, I’ve pretty much played in every game possible.
“That gives me great confidence, belief and trust.
“Every time I step onto the pitch I’m trying to repay the faith and the trust.
“I’ve had lots of conversations, lots of texts, lots of phone calls from Gareth. And then speaking to him when I’ve come into camp he’s always there to help.
“It’s impossible to go through a career without having bad moments and making mistakes. Gareth passes on his experiences and the way he handles things and I’m always open to learning and improving.

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Maguire has been superb since returning from injury and will play a crucial role on WednesdayCredit: Getty

“I can’t speak highly enough of Gareth and what he has done for me personally and the trust and faith he has put in me.”
Asked about his red card against Denmark, Maguire admitted: “It was a challenging time but I am proud of the way I handled it and came through it.
“But four days before that game we had just beaten the no.1 ranked team in the world, Belgium, and I played 90 minutes and had a big part to play in that game.
“My touch was perhaps a bit off (against Denmark) – it was definitely off for the second booking I got.

“When I was walking off the pitch, of course I felt low. I felt like I was letting my team down.
“But mistakes happen and you bounce back and I am proud of the way I have handled myself from then on.
“It was important that I came back strong and performed well for Manchester United. I ended up scoring in a victory against Newcastle in our next match.”
Southgate’s current deal runs until the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and Maguire has backed FA chief executive Mark Bullingham’s stance that they want to extend his contract.
Maguire added: “Yes, of course. I can only speak on behalf of myself but I’m sure everyone as well is so happy in terms of coming to the England camps and the way that he has made it so enjoyable for everyone.”
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THE FLAG of St George is flying high in the back garden of the Trippier family home in Bury. Just like the World Cup in 2018.
Kieran Trippier’s dad Chris waves his giant flagCredit: Zenpix
Flying the flag for EnglandCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
And England defender Kieran Trippier expects his proud builder dad Chris to once again get a warning letter from the council over the 20ft high flag pole with ‘Trippier 2’ emblazoned across with a neighbour having once complained.
Yet his team faces Denmark in the semi-finals now hoping for a different outcome from the previous last four clash, against Croatia in Russia.
Trippier put England in Moscow ahead with a first half free-kick but they still lost 2-1.
Trippier said: “It’s up now. Maybe he will be getting a fine but I’m sure he’ll be sending the invoice to me.
“He’s proud as every other player’s parents will be and their families. He’s buzzing. He’ll be there at Wembley and just hoping for the best for me and my team-mates.”
England were just 22 minutes from reaching the World Cup final but Trippier is only looking forward to the big clash at Wembley.
He said: “There’s no regrets. The past is in the past. We are in a position now where we just want to create our own history. That’s all we want to do.
“But I think over the two years, the team has changed a lot. There are only maybe six or seven of us from the World Cup team. We’ve got so much good young talent. 
“It is there for everyone to see the attacking players we’ve got. I think we’ve taken that step forward from 2018. 
“We got to the Nations League semi-finals in 2019 and we are now playing Denmark. I feel we’ve made good progression over the years.”
Trippier helped England to their famous win over GermanyCredit: Getty
Tripper came into Euro 2020 on the back of clinching the La Liga title with Atletico Madrid and feels he has improved defensively under Diego Simeone.
Particularly if England revert to a back three, he could return to the side and play as a right wing-back.
But regardless, England have been impressive defensively and have yet to concede.
Trippier, 30, who has 31 caps, said: “It’s about working hard on the training field. We do a lot of defensive work. 3v2 actions or 6v4 where you are stopping crosses and your positioning is right. We’ve worked really hard on it.
“As you can imagine, when you are a defender up against Sancho or Rashford, Foden, Grealish, Calvert-Lewin, it’s tough. Bukayo Saka ran past me the other day and I felt like grabbing him. ‘Where are you going?!’
“But we have so much talent. When you train against these players every day – when you get on the pitch against the opposition, because the players we’ve got are world class, you are ready.

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“When you train against these guys every day there are no fears. I spoke to some of the younger lads before the tournament and said, have no fears.
“Enjoy it because they are only around every couple of years, these tournaments. 
“You need to enjoy yourself, just have that freedom and you don’t need to prove to anybody how good you are, just express yourself, enjoy it. That’s the most important thing.”
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LUIS ENRIQUE insists his three-year pursuit of Aymeric Laporte is finally paying dividends as Spain look to shut out Italy at Wembley this evening.The French-born Manchester City defender controversially switched allegiances after gaining Spanish nationality earlier this year.
Spain’s three-year pursuit of Aymeric Laporte is proving to have been worth the waitCredit: Reuters
Luis Enrique has hailed the impact of the Man City star on his teamCredit: Getty
And he is the only defender to play in all of his new country’s games at these Euros after Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos was sensationally left out of Enrique’s squad.
Laporte, 27, played more than 50 games for France at youth and under-21 level but never won a senior cap despite twice being called into Didier Deschamps’ squad in 2019.
But he had already been encouraged by conversations with Enrique, who was appointed Spanish national boss in 2018 and had urged Laporte to exploit his Basque heritage.
And all those plans finally came to fruition last month, when Laporte made his Spanish debut just ten days before their first Euro group game against Sweden.
Now Enrique says: “As soon as Aymeric was able to play for us he began to make a huge contribution. He is a top player in both the attacking and defensive phases.
“We need someone with composure to bring the ball out from the back and pick up the free man in the midfield line.
“He is strong in the air, he is good with both feet, physically strong, quick and has very good covering play.
“He is an excellent defender and we are all delighted that he has decided to play for Spain.”

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Laporte moved to Spain as a 16-year-old and spent eight years with Athletic Bilbao before joining City in a £57million deal in January 2018.
And he instantly caught the eye of Enrique, who had remained close with Pep Guardiola from their time together at Barcelona.
Enrique won 62 caps for Spain as a player but never participated in a major final for his country.
His most painful memory came in the 1994 World Cup semi-final defeat by Italy, when he had his nose broken by an elbow from Mauro Tassotti.
“There is no unfinished business there,” he insisted. “That was a very long time ago and I have been able to speak with Tassotti a few times over the years.
“I have wonderful memories of the Italian people and of my time in Italy as the coach of Roma.
“If you remember, Roma wanted me to stay but I made the decision to leave so I have nothing to prove to the Italians. 

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“It’s always lovely to come up against the Azzurri and if they are the worthy winners of this game then I will be cheering them on in the final.”
Enrique’s first match in charge as Spanish national boss was a 2-1 win against England at Wembley in the Nations League in 2018.
But he was unable to put his team through their paces at the famous stadium last night and said: “They have played plenty of games at Wembley and they wanted to preserve the pitch.
“It was a shame we couldn’t train there because that is always a great session for the players, but I understand that the main priority is to maintain the quality of the grass.
“It will be a strange situation to have 60,000 people at Wembley for this game and I would hope that there will be more Spanish and Italians than English there.
“But this is one of those things that I cannot control so I am not going to spend an ounce of energy worrying about that.
“I would love the situation to be different but that is what it is.”

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HE’S the Greatest Living Englishman again now, Gareth Southgate.Just as he was at this stage of the 2018 World Cup, when a cult of personality sprang up, centred on the waistcoat-wearing manager’s sartorial elegance and his extraordinary levels of human decency.
Gareth Southgate has managed Jack Grealish superbly at Euro 2020 despite fan outcryCredit: Reuters
Southgate was genuinely embarrassed about all that in Russia and he will be regarding it all with a wry smile again now.
And besides, Southgate’s nice-guy caricature is just that. Those who know him best swear he has a steely side which can verge on genuine coldness. A trait all great managers possess.
Still, it is easy to forget after six unanswered goals in 105 minutes of knockout football, that Southgate wasn’t being regarded as a messiah three-quarters of the way through England’s fourth match of these Euros.
Most supporters, and plenty of us in the media corps, were unsure about his cautious approach.
Much of the dissatisfaction – certainly on the Wembley terraces – centred around Southgate’s reluctance to use Jack Grealish.
There has been a widespread feeling Southgate doesn’t rate Grealish, or at least distrusts him.
Yet the perception of Sensible Gareth and Jack the Lad – former and current Aston Villa captains, with little else in common – is an overly simplistic one.
Southgate has always appreciated Grealish’s talent but does not see him as a starter against top opposition amid concern over his defensive capabilities.

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The England boss is also more aware than most managers that squad players at a tournament need to be ‘good tourists’ – low-maintenance and highly-supportive of team-mates.
Here was the chief concern of Southgate and his coaching team.
They are well-connected with most Premier League clubs and were very aware Grealish is indulged, perhaps overindulged, at Villa.
It is understandable Villa boss Dean Smith should take this approach, given Grealish is clearly his club’s best and most influential player, wanted by both Manchester clubs, and with Villa desperate to keep hold of their main man.
But could Grealish – a likeable but free-spirited character – adapt from being ‘The Man’ at Villa to being a squad man, impact sub or a bench-warmer, for his country?
This was still an unknown going into the Euros – and it was understood that Grealish could easily become a lightning rod for dissatisfaction if things went badly.
So the fact that Grealish is now being described as ‘anything but a disruptive influence’ inside the camp is an immense credit to both player and manager.
One of Southgate’s greatest strengths has been his expert handling of players who are not starting regularly.

Grealish did not feature as England obliterated Ukraine in a near-perfect quarter-final display.
But at the final whistle in Rome on Saturday, Southgate made an immediate beeline for Grealish, put his arm around him and whispered in his ear.
He needs Grealish onside, needs him to be ready as a second-half sub if tomorrow’s semi-final against Denmark is as tight as England’s coaching staff are expecting it to be.
The Danes are on a level with Germany and, like the Germans, they have been operating with a solid back three and menacing wing-backs.
It should be no surprise if the game is goalless midway through the second half, and if a significant proportion of a 60,000 Wembley crowd is calling for ‘Super Jack’.
There has been a clamour for Grealish since well before he won his first England cap – as a sub against tomorrow’s opponents in Copenhagen last September.
After Grealish had produced an eye-catching cameo performance in that pedestrian pre-season goalless draw, Southgate was invited to praise the debutant on several occasions.
And he made a point of talking up Mason Mount and Kalvin Phillips instead.

Mount was then considered Southgate’s teacher’s pet, Grealish the misunderstood genius, and the Chelsea man was asked if he felt the need to apologise for ‘not being Grealish’.
Even though Grealish is predominantly a left-sided player and Mount is a No 10.
The nation has come to value Mount, as Southgate and Frank Lampard always did, but Grealish remains the people’s champion.
Seconds before Raheem Sterling scored England’s winner against Croatia, Grealish had been sent to warm up to one of the biggest cheers of the day.

In the miserable draw with Scotland, the Wembley crowd urged Southgate to bring on Grealish, who was unable to make a significant difference during a half-hour appearance.
What is likely to remain Grealish’s only start of the tournament, in a virtual dead rubber against the Czechs, saw him assist Sterling’s winner with a delightful cross.
And with the Germany game deadlocked, and the crowd singing long and hard for ‘Super Jackie Grealish’, the Villa man arrived and played a part in both goals.
Yet in Rome, there was no Grealish but no tantrums, no dramas, no clamour from the terraces.
Just an arm round the shoulder and an encouraging word in the shell-like from the Greatest Living Englishman.
And, all hyperbole aside, it is small moments like that which help to make Southgate the finest England manager in half a century.
DANES ARE ANDY
Denmark are more than useful and will be England’s biggest test at the Euros so farCredit: Reuters
IF you’re feeling inclined to underestimate Denmark, have a look at their bench.
Centre-back Joachim Andersen, outstanding on loan at a relegated Fulham side – now wanted by Tottenham – cannot get a start.
See also Andreas Cornelius, infamous at Cardiff as the apparently over-priced £8.5million striker who once caused an almighty fall-out between Malky Mackay and owner Vincent Tan, which contributed to the manager’s sacking.
Watching Cornelius against Wales in the last 16, he did not look remotely over-rated.
Denmark, tenth in the Fifa standings and England’s highest-ranked Euros opponents, are a proper team and a proper squad.
UEFA GOT NO PRIDE
JUST because England have been successful and the overall entertainment value has been high, let’s not forget that the staging of these Euros across the continent was a bad idea, which became a dreadful idea once the pandemic struck.
For evidence of this, look no further than the pitiful attendance in the remote, inaccessible and apparently disinterested Azerbaijani capital of Baku for Saturday’s quarter-final match between Denmark and the Czech Republic.
Worse still, witness the aggressive confiscation of a rainbow flag, supporting gay rights, from two Danish fans by security henchman, under an oil-rich, authoritarian regime, feted by Uefa.
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NU JUST LIKE OLD
Tottenham have replaced a Portuguese manager known for negative football with another – although Nuno Espirito Santo has 20 fewer major trophies than Jose MourinhoCredit: AFP
SO it took 72 days for Spurs to replace a Portuguese who has a reputation for negative football with a Portuguese who has a reputation for negative football – minus 20 major trophies.
After a successful spell at Wolves, Nuno Espirito Santo was far from the least convincing of the umpteen candidates to replace Jose Mourinho.
But this is a hell of a time to take over at Tottenham, especially with Harry Kane’s club future at the top of football’s news agenda once the Euros are over.
They consider Nuno a miracle worker in Wolverhampton. He needs to pull off some loaves-and-fishes action at Spurs.
REALLY KEANE
PATRICK VIEIRA is quite an intriguing choice as the new Crystal Palace boss.
And while Graham Potter has done an excellent job as the gaffer of Palace’s bitter rivals Brighton, he should surely now be replaced by Roy Keane.
Just for the gaiety of the nation.
Patrick Vieira is an intriguing choice as Crystal Palace manager replacing Roy HodgsonCredit: AFP
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