Euro 2024

WHEN you become a European champion, you experience an intense emotional connection with the people of your country that you will share for the rest of your life.There is nothing to compare with winning a major tournament for your national team.Jurgen Klinsmann and Germany drank their hotel dry after winning the EurosCredit: GettyThe striker captained Germany as they won Euro 96 in EnglandCredit: AFPCollecting trophies with your club is great but winning a Euros or a World Cup is the pinnacle — and I really hope England’s players get to experience this by beating Spain on Sunday.Since we won the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96, every German fan I come across in pubs or shops or wherever will tell me where they were at that moment in time that you shared with them.Some will tell you they were in the stadium or abroad on holiday.They will never forget, they will cherish it forever and they’ll be a companion for life.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSSometimes they even give you a free beer but actually not very often!After we won Euro 96, we were  staying at The Landmark hotel in  Marylebone, London, and they were out of drinks by 2am or 3am.We were very disappointed. We had to empty out all our mini-bars so that we could keep partying because they called it a night at the bar.And I will never forget flying back to Frankfurt Airport. For the last couple of miles our plane was escorted by two fighter jets, guiding us down to the runway, the pilots smiling from their cockpits. That was very special.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAfter you win, those are an unforgettable couple of days — just like in 1990 when we spent two days partying in Rome after winning the World Cup.England just need one more win to experience all this.England fans gush ‘my manager’ as incredible footage emerges of Southgate going wild after reaching Euro 2024 final Spain are the team of the tournament — but England are the team of the moment after the way they beat Holland with that 90th-minute goal from Ollie Watkins. England might just be peaking at exactly the right time.Spain have been so impressive — they walked all over Italy and Croatia in the group stage, then beat Germany and France. But none of that gives them any right to be champions of Europe.England have to take that confidence and willpower they showed in the semi-final and continue to ride that wave.It’s becoming a tidal wave. I have a good feeling about England.Their first half against Holland was the England we’ve been waiting for — better late than never!The tempo of the passing and the movement off the ball, they enjoyed the running, they wanted to unlock the Dutch side — they looked confident enough to give Spain a message that they are up for this final.Euro 2024 final stadium is home to English football’s most shameful episodeGARETH SOUTHGATE and his players will walk in the footsteps of sporting infamy on Sunday.And they also have the chance to wipe out the memories of English football’s most shameful episode by replacing it with glorious triumph.For many, the Olympiastadion will always be the place where Jesse Owens humiliated Adolf Hitler in his own backyard.But the 1936 Olympics WERE used by the Nazis as pure propaganda, as a statement about the supposed supremacy of the “Aryan race”.The ghosts of those Games still flit between the towers and the colosseum-style architecture.Fans walking in on Sunday will see the plinth where the Olympic cauldron was lit by Fritz Schilgen – handpicked by propagandist film-maker Leni Riefenstahl – still there, high in the stands above one goal.And two years later, when the FA disgracefully ordered England’s players to raise their arm in the Nazi salute before beating Germany in a friendly, it seemed that the British state was implicitly accepting Hitler’s authority and power.The Three Lions have the opportunity to right that ancient wrong yet nothing can detract from the stadium’s place in the pantheon of sport’s darkest hours.Read the full story HERE.It’s a brain game now, it’s all in the head, and they showed me enough to convince me they can beat Spain.As a manager, when you make a sub, you always hope they will make an impact but there’s zero guarantee.When it works out like it did for Gareth Southgate, and Watkins takes his one opportunity, this is the moment you live for as a manager.Everyone was waiting for Southgate, his players and fans to experience a real emotional connection — and the joy from Watkins’ goal has created that, even if it was a bit late in the tournament.It was a loud call to England supporters to make them believe. Now the nation believes in what Southgate is doing.When I was manager of Germany at the 2006 World Cup, I brought on a young right winger, David Odonkor, as a sub when our group-stage match against Poland was goalless.Klinsmann and his team-mates emptied the mini-bars as their celebrations continuedCredit: ReutersGareth Southgate has taken England to a second Euros final in a rowCredit: GettyEveryone was asking how I could bring on this kid for such a big game but he was excellent and he assisted our late winner. That was in the same stadium, at Dortmund, as the England-Holland game and gave us our connection with the nation. Although we finished third at that World Cup, a lot of German people remember it as a summer fairytale.It’s so important for a manager, staff and senior players to ensure players like Watkins keep feeling appreciated, respected and fully part of the project.Because when you get your chance at a tournament, a split-second can change your life — as it has for Watkins with that brilliant finish to get England into their first major final on foreign soil.It’s a 24-7 thing to keep those players feeling loved. A good team looks after those who aren’t getting many minutes.Gareth has mentioned that England have one day’s less rest than Spain but I don’t think that matters.The players are used to playing every three days. The adrenalin will see them through. There will be zero tiredness. If anything, players can have too much energy. They need to be able to sleep.Ollie Watkins’ late goal booked the Three Lions’ place in the finalCredit: GettyLamine Yamal and Spain await England at the Olympiastadion in BerlinCredit: GettyI know there are concerns in England about players keeping their heads, Jude Bellingham especially.But I’d want a great player like  Bellingham to play on the edge, while still controlling his temper.I saw the Uruguay v Colombia Copa America semi-final and thought they were going to start killing each other.A Colombian player, Daniel Munoz, lost his head and was sent off for an elbow before half-time and they had to suffer with ten men to win.But I don’t expect that from England, they have their heads right.Spain are a great team. Lamine Yamal,  17 today, is an incredible talent who brings to mind a young Pele.READ MORE SUN STORIESSo it will be a festival in Berlin tomorrow with unbelievable energy and I can’t wait to be there.If these England players can do it, they will never forget it.Because they will be reminded every day for the rest of their lives. More

OLLIE WATKINS and the nation went crazy after his winner against Holland.But it could not have been more different to the reaction to his first goal for non-league side Weston-super-Mare ten years ago.Ollie Watkins scored his first goal for Weston-super-Mare in front of just one fanThe England striker is now preparing to face Spain in the Euro 2024 finalCredit: GettyPlaying at Ebbsfleet in the Conference South, the then-teenager netted the only goal of the game in front of a solitary away fan and then celebrated with a half-baked potato and some beans out of a tin.That humble beginning underlines just what an amazing a journey the Aston Villa striker has been on as he goes into Sunday’s final against Spain.Watkins labelled the 1-0 victory at Stonebridge Road as his standout non-league memory and recalled: “I scored and ran off, pulling my shirt up and there was one fan in the away end.“That was my first goal for Weston. Ebbsfleet had a really big budget at the time and we were fighting to stay up.READ MORE ON OLLIE WATKINS“We had a long bus journey. JR was the kitman — bless him, he’s  passed away now — and he used to make us potato and beans and cheese on the bus. It’s definitely very different to the semi-final. Him making us meals on the bus, we got a half-cooked potato with some beans out the tin — we were on rations!“I remember one lad who turned up to the bus and he had paint all over his hands because he had just been painting before we travelled to a game. That was his main job.  It was really good times.”Watkins’ lethal strike against the Dutch went down as one of England’s greatest goals from the moment it hit the back of the net at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion.Yet many fans were surprised Gareth Southgate turned to the 28-year-old Villa man rather than Ivan Toney when subbing off Harry Kane at 1-1.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSThat was because Toney, 28, had made such a devastating impact in the previous two knockout games.Against Slovakia in the last 16, the Brentford man teed up Kane’s winner in extra-time, which had been forced by Jude Bellingham’s extraordinary 95th-minute bicycle kick.England stars celebrate reaching Euro 2024 final with Wags as Ollie Watkins kisses girlfriend after late winnerInside humble Ollie Watkins’ remarkable rise from non-league to England’s Euro 2024 heroNINE summers ago Ollie Watkins went on a lads’ holiday after helping to save Conference South side Weston-Super-Mare from relegation, writes Dan King.Now he’s just fired England into the Euro 2024 final with a sensational 90th-minute winner.And even helped Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League last season.Watkins arrived on the Somerset coast as a teenaged striker on loan from League Two Exeter in December 2014.His 10 goals in 24 league games were a big factor in stopping Weston from slipping into the sixth tier for the first time in their history – and in giving them something to celebrate on a post-season trip to Spain.But it was also his workrate and attitude that earned him the respect of the dressing room, and helped him take the first significant steps on the road to stardom.Ryan Northmore, boss of Weston at the time, said: “His goals saved the club from relegation. But he contributed much more than his goals, which is really important when you’re scrapping away for your lives.“He wasn’t just sat at the top of the pitch waiting for the ball to come. He would roll his sleeves up and get involved in all aspects of the game.”Days after joining, Watkins made an instant impact with an equaliser against Farnborough.Team-mate Tom Jordan said: “He always struck me as the kind of lad who had his eyes wide open to different aspects of the game.“Sometimes you would have loan lads come in from a League club to non-League and they would be looking at you like they were doing you a favour.“His attitude was very different. He was coming in thinking, ‘I’m going to learn from this experience’.”It was during Watkins’ spell at Weston that the then Walsall boss Dean Smith spotted him.Smith would later take the striker to Brentford and bring him to Villa, where he has reached new levels under current boss Unai Emery.But Watkins has never forgotten the part that Weston played in his rise to the top.One of his Villa shirts is on display there, he has spoken to young players coming through and happily tells the local press how important and enjoyable his time at the club was.And he even helped fund an end-of-season boys’ trip to Spain due to his fines for being late – although he was allowed to join the rest of the squad.Read all about Ollie Watkins’ incredible rise in full…Toney then fired home that brazen no-look penalty in the shootout victory over Switzerland at the quarter-final stage.Watkins could have been forgiven for worrying about the pecking order, having only featured for the last 20 minutes against Denmark in the group stage prior to his inspired Dutch cameo.Yet he said: “I was saying  against Slovakia, if I’m not coming on here then he needs to bring Ivan on because we’re going to go direct.“He did — I thought it was going to be too late but then Jude pops up with the overhead kick, then Ivan sets up Harry Kane.“There’s no bitterness whatsoever. I was so pleased for Ivan.“There are certain times where it’s more suited for Ivan to go on the pitch if we’re going more direct.“Then there’s certain times where it’s better for me, where the game’s more open and I can run in behind and affect the game in a different way.READ MORE SUN STORIES“We both have different attributes and I’m really glad the boss didn’t just choose one of us.“That he brought all three of us because we’ve all had massive parts to play in this competition. It was a great decision to bring all three of us.”Watkins’ last-minute winner against the Netherlands booked England’s place in the finalCredit: Reuters More

GARETH SOUTHGATE wants to win the Euros “so much it hurts”.But the England boss will not let the result of Sunday’s final in Berlin define him — like his Euro 96 penalty miss once did.Gareth Southgate wants to win the Euros ‘so much it hurts’Credit: GettyAnd Southgate will return home proud of what he has achieved in his eight-year reign.He said: “In the end, winning and what that means completely changes how you’re going to be viewed.“I want to win so much on Sunday it hurts, don’t get me wrong. But I can handle whatever comes and I know it’s not going to change what the dog thinks when I walk back through the door.“The margins are so fine and there are bits you can affect, others you are not going to affect.READ MORE ENGLAND NEWS“I would probably have felt differently about that three years ago, five years ago.”But I’m in a different space now — and that’s a good thing because otherwise I’d have been in a mess these last five weeks.”Southgate was eaten up for years because he missed the crucial penalty in the Euro 96 semi-final shootout against Germany.But he will be comfortable in his own skin even if England are beaten by Spain, having led the team to back-to-back Euros finals, plus a World Cup semi and quarter-final.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSSouthgate said: “As a player and an athlete you view those failures in a different sort of way.“Had we gone out in the first knockout round here, I know I’ve managed this period better than I did in Russia.SunSport’s Latest Euro 2024 headlinesEngland vs Spain recordEngland have played Spain 27 times in total – here is a look at every result…May 1929, Spain 4-3 England – International Friendly (L)December 1931, England 7-1 Spain – International Friendly (W)July 1950, Spain 1-0 England – World Cup (L)May 1955, Spain 1-1 England – International Friendly (D)November 1955, England 4-1 Spain – International Friendly (W)May 1960, Spain 3-0 England – International Friendly (L)October 1960, England 4-2 Spain – International Friendly (W)December 1965, Spain 0-2 England – International Friendly (W)May 1967, England 2-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)April 1968, England 1-0 Spain – European Championship (W)May 1968, Spain 1-2 England – European Championship (W)March 1980, Spain 0-2 England – International Friendly (W)June 1980, England 2-1 Spain – European Championship (W)March 1981, England 1-2 Spain – International Friendly (L)July 1982, Spain 0-0 England – World Cup (D)February 1987, Spain 2-4 England – International Friendly (W)September 1992, Spain 1-0 England – International Friendly (L)June 1996, England 0(4)-(2)0 Spain – European Championship (W)February 2001, England 3-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)November 2004, Spain 1-0 England – International Friendly (L)February 2007, England 0-1 Spain – International Friendly (L)February 2009, Spain 2-0 England – International Friendly (L)November 2011, England 1-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)November 2015, Spain 2-0 England – International Friendly (L)November 2016, England 2-2 Spain – International Friendly (D)September 2018, England 1-2 Spain – Nations League (L)October 2018, Spain 2-3 England – Nations League (W)Overall, England have won 14, drawn three and lost 10 matches against Spain.“But that wouldn’t be how it was viewed and it would sound like nonsense to the man in the street.“But I know the job now and I’m really clear on being my own biggest critic, reviewing everything clearly.“So I know there is a body of work there and how we’ve worked with different groups of players to get the outcomes that we have.”Greatest English sporting moments since 1966David Platt’s last-minute extra-time winner vs Belgium at Italia 90Paul Gascoigne’s wondergoal vs Scotland at Euro 96Jonny Wilkinson’s drop goal to win the 2003 Rugby World CupAshes victory over Australia in 2005Super Saturday at London 2012Ben Stokes’ heroics to win 2019 Cricket World Cup finalLionesses winning 2022 Women’s Euros at Wembley More