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      Declan Rice vows to have his first ever beer if England beat Spain in Euro 2024 final

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      DECLAN RICE has vowed to sink his first proper beer if England win the Euros.The Arsenal midfielder made the same pledge three years ago but kept his powder dry after the Three Lions suffered an agonising defeat by Italy on penalties in the Wembley final.Declan Rice will have his first-ever beer if England win the EurosCredit: RexAs Gareth Southgate’s side prepare for a Sunday showdown with Spain, Rice said: “I remember that.“Since that time I’ve had a beer but I had it with a bit of lemonade.“If we win I’ll have a proper beer. I’ll probably have to hold my nose as I hate the smell.“I’ve been in this position before and it feels just as good. Now we’re in another final. We are so together.READ MORE ENGLAND NEWS“You can see how much it means to everyone.”England’s progress to a second consecutive Euros final has been anything but smooth with little to raise a glass to in some of the performances.But champagne moments like Ollie Watkins’ last-minute semi-final winner against Holland have sent them to Berlin.That followed Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time overhead kick equaliser against Slovakia in the last-16 and the five perfect penalties that did for Switzerland in the quarter-finals.Most read in FootballEURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERSKing Charles has now urged England to find a less dramatic way to win.And Rice revealed the team also got a little royal advice before the tournament kicked off.The Sun’s Charlie Wyett praises England as Ollie Watkins 90th minute winner puts Three Lions into Euro 2024 finalRice said: “When Prince William came into St George’s Park he said it would be a rollercoaster and that this tournament is brutal.“That’s what it’s been from the first minute. You couldn’t write it and to be part of it is so special.“It started with Jude’s overhead, then the pens, then Holland was a completely different challenge.“But those moments in football that Ollie has just come back with, you can’t describe it.“I was so emotional at the end because it’s been a tough road.“I know the final is going to be a really tough game and hopefully someone else can write some history into the books.“It is a game we believe we can win so it is poised to be a great final.READ MORE SUN STORIES“There is one more in our legs to give it everything for the boys, for the fans and for this manager.“We are so desperate to do this and bring some happiness to the country.”You can say it hasn’t been pretty, but England are in the final… and we’re peaking at just the right time, says Jack WilshereAFTER what has been a tough tournament of times, what an opportunity Gareth Southgate and his team will have to end in the best possible way, writes Jack Wilshere.We might like a team that played better football. But it’s a results business.Germany, Italy, France, Portugal and of course Holland would love to be where we are.People will say we’re lucky because we’re on this side of the draw.But we won the group. France didn’t and then ran into Spain.You can say it wasn’t that pretty, but we’re there.Gareth and his coaches won’t have been happy with some of the performances.But I did like the way Gareth and his team have dealt with it.There was no panic coming out of the camp.Everyone gave the same message: ‘We know we can better, but we’re here still.’And on Sunday they will be in Berlin to play Spain.They will probably have to produce two halves of football as good as the first against Holland to beat them.We have improved as the tournament has gone on and that is how you win things.You want to peak in the final.If Gareth can lead England to that major trophy we’ve all been waiting for, it will be the perfect answer to the critics and a brilliant day for us all.Read Jack Wilshere’s England vs Holland verdict in full.Or check out all of SunSport columnist Jack’s Euros 2024 opinions… More

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      Why Ollie Watkins’ last minute goal may be the greatest EVER moment in English sport… for those born after 1966

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      THERE are rarefied moments in sport when the heart misses a beat, when the blood runs cold, when time stands still for a second.Moments when you doubt the evidence of your own eyes.Ollie Watkins’ goal against the Netherlands will go down in English sporting folkloreCredit: AFPThe Aston Villa striker’s last-minute strike booked England’s spot in the Euro 2024 finalCredit: AlamyBut then you process what you’ve just witnessed.And then the only natural human reaction is to yell: “F*** my old boots!”And when Ollie Watkins swivelled to beat Stefan de Vrij and struck the sweetest of shots low into the far corner, this was one of those thrilling moments when a nation is united in euphoria.An Oliver twist that even Charles Dickens couldn’t have written.READ MORE ENGLAND NEWSThe clock read 89min and 59sec. And England were into their first major final on foreign soil.Watkins now sits alongside Geoff Hurst, David Platt and Paul Gascoigne.Like Jonny Wilkinson, Ben Stokes and Mo Farah too, he owns a moment which will be seared into the national consciousness for eternity.When you have been following the England football team throughout most, or all, of these 58 years of hurt, you watch Watkins turn and shoot and you are convinced that ball will ping back off the inside of the post.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSOr graze the outside of the post. Or that Holland goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen will turn it wide.So when the ball nestles in the onion bag, you have to perform a double-take.England fans gush ‘my manager’ as incredible footage emerges of Southgate going wild after reaching Euro 2024 final And then you scream.But then you look for a linesman’s flag.And then you wait for the dreaded VAR check.Even though there clearly couldn’t have been an offside or a foul.Because fatalism is at the core of following the England men’s football team.And this adds to the drama. Because this sort of thing doesn’t happen to us. We don’t reach finals on foreign soil.Least of all in Germany, with the Germans eliminated almost a week ago.And we don’t dominate possession against the Dutch — who had long since resorted to lumping it long to their big man, 6ft 6in Wout Weghorst.Just as we never used to win penalty shootouts, as the Three Lions did against Switzerland.Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick fired England to World Cup glory in 1966Credit: GettyDavid Platt caused passionate celebrations against Belgium at Italia 90Credit: Action Images – ReutersPaul Gascoigne’s wondergoal sealed a 2-0 win over Scotland at Euro 1996Credit: GettyJust as we never scored 96th-minute bicycle-kick equalisers, as Jude Bellingham did when England were dead and buried against Slovakia in the last 16.This is a reversal of the natural order. This is Gareth Southgate’s England.So where does the Watkins moment rank among those most dramatic and glorious in English sporting history?Hurst produced not just one, but two, of them in extra-time against West Germany in 1966.First, there was the crossbar and the Azerbaijani linesman.Then the “They think it’s all over…” moment when Hurst completed his hat-trick with a rocket after delirious supporters had already invaded the pitch.But you need to be a  pensioner to remember those moments.For the rest of us, there was Gascoigne’s sensational goal against Scotland and his dentist’s chair celebration at Euro 96 — just a minute after David Seaman had saved a penalty from Gary McAllister with England leading 1-0. That was special and yet it was only a group-stage match.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 WembleyAnd it arrived in the 79th minute, not the last second of normal time.The greatest parallel was Platt’s extraordinary turn and volley in the final minute of extra-time against Belgium, at Italia 90.Like Watkins, Platt was a relatively unsung Aston Villa player who had arrived as a substitute.But that was a last-16 match, not a semi-final.Wilkinson’s drop goal to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup final against Australia was special.But England were favourites and everything was set up for Wilkinson to slot that ball between the posts.The fly-half was Clive Woodward’s go-to man.He wasn’t a supposed  bit-part player like Watkins.In my quarter of a century covering elite sport, none of those genuine heart-stopping England moments involved the men’s football team.Mo Farah won gold on Super Saturday for Team GB at London 2012Credit: PA:Press AssociationJonny Wilkinson’s drop goal clinched the 2003 Rugby World Cup against AustraliaCredit: GettyEngland won the 2019 Cricket World Cup following Ben Stokes’ heroicsCredit: GettyThere were several such moments during the 2005 Ashes, when England’s cricketers regained the urn after 16 years in a breathless, epic series.And then Stokes’ golden summer of 2019 when he played a remarkable innings in the World Cup final and England won with a run-out from the final ball of a super over after the match was tied.Just weeks later, at Headingley, Stokes and the bespectacled everyman No 11 batsman Jack Leach shared a ridiculous 76-run final-wicket partnership to win an Ashes Test.I noted at the time that it was like watching Superman and Clark Kent in the same place. When Stokes cracked the winning boundary and a sun-baked Western Terrace rose as one with their arms aloft, that was a time-stands-still moment too.But England didn’t win that series.There was Super Saturday at the 2012 London Olympics when Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Farah all nailed track-and-field gold medals in the space of 44 minutes.And we must not forget that the England women’s team — unlike the men — have been crowned European champions.When Chloe Kelly netted the winner in extra-time against Germany, in 2022, twirled her shirt above her head  and cavorted across Wembley in her sports bra, that was an iconic moment and a breakthough for the women’s game.England ratings vs HollandENGLAND stormed into the final against Spain thanks to Ollie Watkins’ last-minute strike in the 2-1 win over Holland.It was a brilliant team performance, but how did each player rate?SunSport’s Tom Barclay ran the rule over Southgate’s boys, and here’s how he rated them.Jordan Pickford: 7Bigger goalkeepers may have got a stronger hand to Xavi Simons’ early stunner – though that was being hypercritical. Solid stop to deny Virgil van Dijk after the hour.Kyle Walker: 7Looked re-energised after some lumbering displays and bombed on at times in the first half, despite his role on the right of a back three. Last-ditch tackle on Cody Gakpo was spot on.John Stones: 7Strong in possession. He looks to have benefited from regular game-time after rarely featuring for Manchester City in the last few months.Marc Guehi: 6Came back into the side after suspension ruled him out of the Switzerland game. Had an unenviable task of making the big man Wout Weghorst after the break.Bukayo Saka: 7Razor-sharp in the first half, winning tackles, making runs and dribbling the ball proficiently. Less of an impact after the break, had a goal ruled out for offside and was booked.Declan Rice: 6Lost possession for Simons’ thunderous opener but grew into the game, mopping up where necessary. Poor pass when Kane was open midway through the second half.Kobbie Mainoo: 8Was England’s youngest-ever player to play in a major-tournament semi-final, aged 19years 82 days, and had a stormer in the first half. Great bursts forward, vital tackles, and his interplay with Foden was a joy.Kieran Trippier: 6We all know by now that he is playing out of position, so again he was limited going forward and reliable defensively. Subbed at half-time for the more natural Shaw.Phil Foden: 7The first 45 minutes was by far and away his best half of the tournament. Thought he’d scored when his shot was cleared off the line by Denzel Dumfries, and cracked the post with a cracker. But was then surprisingly subbed.Jude Bellingham: 5Back at the ground where he made his name but struggled to make much of an impact on his old stomping ground. Fortunate it was not he that was subbed.Harry Kane: 6Won and dispatched the penalty to go joint top-scorer in the tournament with three goals. Had looked more mobile initially but still tired badly after the break and was taken off.SUBSLuke Shaw (for Kieran Trippier, half-time): 6Looked assured for a man who has been out for so long.Ollie Watkins (for Harry Kane, 81): 9 and STAR MAN Surprisingly given the nod over Ivan Toney as striker sub as Southgate looked for more pace in behind. Brilliant finish into the corner to win the game – you could not ask more from him.Cole Palmer (for Phil Foden, 81): 7Had his big chance in the final minutes but shanked it horribly wide – but then fed Watkins for his wonderful winner.Gareth Southgate: 8His switch to a back three against Switzerland helped dig out the win there, and here it had his team finally playing some great football in the first half. The team went into their shells again as the game wore on and you feared the worst – but you have to say his decision to bring on Ollie Watkins was a masterstroke. But the longest-running national sporting obsession is the England men’s team and their elusive hunt for silverware.That’s what makes the Watkins moment — Take My Breath Away and off to  Berlin — arguably the most astonishing since 1966.Perhaps on Sunday night, in the final against Spain, that moment will be swiftly eclipsed.Who knows. Anything seems possible right now. There’s a feeling of fate and destiny about this campaign.READ MORE SUN STORIESThere would be no logic in England defeating Spain, the best team in the tournament.But then where’s the  logic in those moments when your heart misses a beat, when the blood runs cold, when time stands still, when you cannot believe your own eyes? More

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      I fully expect England to bring football home in the Euro 2024 final – Spain will be scared to death of us

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      RAISE your glass, clear your throat and scream it loud and proud… for England, Harry Kane and St. George!One game from glory, the chance to write history — now go out and make yourselves footballing legends.England face Spain in the final of Euro 2024 on Sunday nightCredit: GettyOllie Watkins’ last-minute winner against the Netherlands saw the Three Lions throughCredit: GettyThat’s the message I’m sure Gareth Southgate will be giving to his boys on Sunday, and you know what? I’m convinced they’ll do it as well.I’ve said all along that this is our time, so there’s no way I’ll be going back on my prediction.Not because it’s written in the stars, not because the draw has been kind, and not because we’ve ridden our luck on more than one occasion in these Euros.All that’s helped, for sure, but not the reason I’m so confident. It’s because I look at the two teams and just think, man for man, we are stronger than Spain.READ MORE ENGLAND NEWSYes, I know they’ve been the most impressive team at the tournament but let’s be honest, we’re not talking all-time greats like some of the sides of old.The two young Spanish wingers are fantastic players, especially the kid Lamine Yamal. We certainly need to keep him quiet.I tell you something, though — England have a hell of a lot more for them to be worried about, trust me.Like Jude Bellingham, for a start.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSIn Madrid they won’t be thinking of a man who’s only been at his best in flashes but the outstanding star of LaLiga who took Spain by storm.They’ll be scared to death of  facing him, while Jude will be full of confidence at what he can do to them.England fans reaction to dramatic last minute Euros win over NetherlandsPhil Foden has been different class since Gareth moved him inside, and Spain have a huge issue in how they cope with him.And what about Bukayo Saka? If he’s in the same form as the last two games, would you fancy Marc Cucurella to get the better of him? I certainly wouldn’t.And then there’s captain Harry. Fair enough, I accept he’s not in the form of his life right now, maybe he isn’t 100 per cent.But he’s still got three goals, there’s every likelihood he will finish the Euros as top scorer, and here’s a question.If there’s a half chance in the box in Berlin, who would you fancy to stick it away, Harry or Alvaro Morata?It’s an absolute no-brainer. Morata gets through a ton of work but let’s make no bones about it, he was something of a disaster when he played at Chelsea.In terms of the world’s great strikers, the genuine goalscoring centre-forwards, if you were picking the best around, he would be lucky to make the top ten. Harry, for me, would be No 1.To think there were people who felt he should be dropped for the semi! To be honest Gareth won’t want to make any changes for the final, either.You can say it hasn’t been pretty, but England are in the final… and we’re peaking at just the right time, says Jack WilshereAFTER what has been a tough tournament of times, what an opportunity Gareth Southgate and his team will have to end in the best possible way, writes Jack Wilshere.We might like a team that played better football. But it’s a results business.Germany, Italy, France, Portugal and of course Holland would love to be where we are.People will say we’re lucky because we’re on this side of the draw.But we won the group. France didn’t and then ran into Spain.You can say it wasn’t that pretty, but we’re there.Gareth and his coaches won’t have been happy with some of the performances.But I did like the way Gareth and his team have dealt with it.There was no panic coming out of the camp.Everyone gave the same message: ‘We know we can better, but we’re here still.’And on Sunday they will be in Berlin to play Spain.They will probably have to produce two halves of football as good as the first against Holland to beat them.We have improved as the tournament has gone on and that is how you win things.You want to peak in the final.If Gareth can lead England to that major trophy we’ve all been waiting for, it will be the perfect answer to the critics and a brilliant day for us all.Read Jack Wilshere’s England vs Holland verdict in full.Or check out all of SunSport columnist Jack’s Euros 2024 opinions…He’d sooner go with Kieran Trippier to counter Yamal but Luke Shaw would hardly be a weak link.As a regular left-back, you could even argue he’s a better option. But that’s the thing with this England squad — it’s so deep.If it comes down to the bench, as it has so often already, Gareth is spoilt for choice.Cole Palmer is effective every time he comes on, Ivan Toney was key in the quarter-final, and Ezri Konsa didn’t put a foot wrong when he got his chance against Switzerland.And then there’s Ollie Watkins — what a fairytale that is.From Exeter and Weston-super-Mare on loan to England’s matchwinner against Holland — and what a finish it was, too.I’m sure there were times in the past when Ollie worried where his career was going.But if ever there was an example to keep trying, to never give up, it’s him. So you can see why I’m so confident of beating Spain.  And as good as they’ve been at the Euros, how many thought three weeks ago we’d be playing them in the final?Spain will be scared to face Jude Bellingham, says Harry RedknappCredit: GettyRedknapp is also tipping Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka for big performances in BerlinCredit: GettyNot that I think it’s going to be a stroll, by the way. Far from it, because if England aren’t at it, they will cause us big problems.It could be a long night, and it wouldn’t be the greatest surprise if it did end up going all the way to penalties.But if that’s what it takes, then fair enough, because I wouldn’t fancy anyone to beat us in a shootout these days.READ MORE SUN STORIESThat’s not something I thought I’d be saying a few years ago… any more than England being European champions.And on Sunday I wouldn’t back against either. More

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      New photo emerges of Lionel Messi with Lamine Yamal after eight-time Ballon d’Or winner bathed Spain wonderkid as a baby

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      A NEW photo has emerged of Lionel Messi with Euro 2024’s breakout star Lamine Yamal before he hit the big time.Yamal, 16, has enjoyed an incredible tournament for Spain, who play England in Sunday’s final.A new photo of Lamine Yamal with Lionel Messi has emergedCredit: XThe pair were previously in a photo shoot for a charity calendarCredit: APThe Barcelona winger became the youngster scorer in Euros history with a wonder-strike in the semi-final win over France.And Yamal is now ready to become a global megastar by capturing his first international title just a day after his 17th birthday.The left-footer plays on the right wing for club and country, with many hailing him as Barcelona’s natural successor to Messi.The Argentine has won the lot as a player, including eight Ballon d’Ors and the 2022 World cup.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAnd it seems Messi left his mark on Yamal when the pair linked up for a photoshoot 17 years ago.Yamal was just a baby when Messi, then 20, posed with him for a charity calendar.And he was even given a bath in the adorable snaps, with many claiming it was destiny that Yamal would go on to become football’s latest sensation.However, it’s not the only time the pair have met for a photo.Most read in FootballEURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERSAnother picture was unearthed by internet sleuths today, showing Yamal posing with Messi in 2019.Yamal looked worlds away from the player he is today, as he was just 11 years old at the time.England vs Netherlands Player RatingsYamal is hoping to win the Euros with Spain on SundayCredit: GettyMessi has the chance to clinch back-to-back Copa Americas this weekendCredit: GettyMessi was still a Barcelona player at the time, and it appears the duo may have posed together at the club’s training ground as Yamal tucked a kit bag under his arm.Messi is sure to be keeping a close eye on Yamal’s fortunes this Sunday.He too is preparing for a final in the Copa America after Argentina set up a showdown with Colombia.Messi netted in the 2-0 semi-final win over Canada and will be hoping to add a second Copa America crown to his collection after victory in 2021. More

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      England gets ready for almighty Euro 2024 final party with fans set to spend £800MILLION on beer and pizza

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      ENGLAND legend Sir Geoff Hurst has told how proud he is of our Euros heroes — as the nation prepares for an almighty party for Sunday’s final.The last survivor of our 1966 win cannot wait for the showdown with the Spanish, and neither can our hospitality sector which is heading for an estimated £800million boost.An estimated £120million worth of booze will be sunk on Sunday alone, with pubs expected to sell 10million more pints than usualHarry Kane and his team of heroes reaching the Euro 2024 final is set to trigger an £800million boost for the nation’s hospitality sectorSir Geoff Hurst – England’s last surviving hero of the 1966 World Cup winning squad – is supporting the idea of a bank holiday if we win ‘to allow the fans to celebrate together’Credit: GettyWorld Cup hat-trick hero Sir Geoff is hoping Gareth Southgate’s men will finally end 58 years of trophyless hurt — and he is backing growing calls for a bank holiday if football does comes home.The 82-year-old said: “With England so close to achieving greatness on Sunday, I couldn’t be prouder of the team, and I know the nation feels the same.“As the last surviving member of the ’66 starting eleven, I can’t tell you how incredible it would be to see England win again.“But this moment isn’t just about the team. It’s about England fans across the nation.”READ MORE ON EURO 2024Sir Geoff — a brand ambassador for Official England Beer Budweiser — is supporting the idea of a bank holiday if we win “to allow the fans to celebrate together”.As the last surviving member of the ’66 starting eleven, I can’t tell you how incredible it would be to see England win again.Sir Geoff HurstWith warm weather forecast, packed boozers around the country will be allowed to stay open extra late on Sunday night — as they were for Wednesday’s semi-final triumph.Experts reckon Ollie Watkins’ dramatic 90th-minute winner against the Netherlands has triggered a £405million spending bonanza in pubs and supermarkets.’I don’t want to jinx it’An estimated £120million worth of booze will be sunk on Sunday alone, with pubs expected to sell ten million more pints than usual.Most read in Euro 2024But many fans will likely shun Spanish lagers such as Estrella and San Miguel to show their support for the Three Lions — who will be the underdogs in Berlin.From agony to ecstasy – England fans go wild as Three Lions advance to Euro 2024 final with victory over NetherlandsEmma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “As with the semi-finals, pubs will be licensed to stay open until 1am.“That gives fans even more time to enjoy the game, support our pubs and hopefully celebrate football finally coming home.”Tesco, Britain’s biggest supermarket, reckons it will sell four million packs of beer and cider, plus 1.2 million cans and bottles of low and zero-alcohol beer.Nearly 2.5 million bottles of wine will be bought — and a similar amount of champagne will be snapped up by the more optimistic England supporters.Tesco also reckons it will shift more than one million pizzas and pies while nearly 800,000 packs of sausages and 180,000 burgers will be bought for the barbecue.Andrew Rennie, chief executive of Domino’s, said the takeaway chain expects to be making 20 to 25 pizzas a second during the game.I went to the last Euros final, I don’t want to go through that again.Sir Keir StarmerHe said: “We’ll be pulling out all the stops that no matter how busy it gets, everyone will get their piping-hot pizza on time.”Sunday’s final will be the climax to a hugely successful Euros for our hospitality sector, which analysts say has enjoyed a staggering £800million sales boost during the four-week tournament. Meanwhile, new PM Sir Keir Starmer — a fanatical Arsenal supporter who still plays in five-a-side games – has told how he is desperate for England to succeed against Spain. He dropped hints last night that he would give government backing to a bank holiday — although he doesn’t want to tempt fate.Sir Keir, who watched England’s last Euros final heartbreak when we lost to Italy on penalties, said: “We should certainly mark the occasion. I went to the last Euros final so I don’t want to jinx it. I don’t want to go through that again.” Sir Keir watched parts of the semi-final despite being at the Nato defence and security summit in Washington DC.Monster hangover warning He said: “It was fantastic. I managed to pop out from one of my sessions for just five minutes, which is when I saw Harry Kane (above) get the first goal. I missed the second one but it was brilliant.“So on we go now, great chance. I’ve always said this team were going to go all the way so I’m really, really pleased and just good luck for Sunday.”Employers should be prepared to be inundated with leave requests for staff scheduled to work on Sunday evening.The money-spinning footie shindig will also trigger monster hangovers across the nation — and a surge of staff requesting Monday off or ringing in sick.Alan Price, CEO at BrightHR, which monitors absence among more than a million employees at 50,000-plus UK companies, said: “Everyone wants to watch the final, staff included. Employers should be prepared to be inundated with leave requests for staff scheduled to work on Sunday evening.”Sickness absence rocketed 232 per cent the day after England’s Euro 2020 final. Sunday’s final in Berlin is set to be watched by a record 32 million-strong TV audience — half the nation. And bosses at England’s supermarkets, petrol stations and delivery services were coming under pressure to give staff the evening off so they can see it too.Tesco said it would close 1,800 Express stores early for the 8pm kick-off so workers could watchNearly 2.5million bottles of wine will be bought — and a similar amount of champagne will be snapped up by the more optimistic England supportersCredit: Andy Stenning/Daily MirrorSunday’s money-spinning soccer shindig will also trigger monster hangovers across the nation – and a surge of staff requesting Monday off or ringing in sickCredit: GettySunday’s final will be the climax to a hugely successful Euros for our hospitality sectorEngland supporters celebrating the Three Lions’ victory in Benidorm yesterdayCredit: ReutersSainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose are considering a shutdown.Brits can look forward to enjoying a glorious weekend scorcher as temperatures hit 23C for the final.The Met Office has forecast a brighter outlook on the horizon following dismal drizzles and below-average temperatures. The Met Office’s Aidan McGivern said: “On Sunday, temperatures are closer to average. It’s warming up”.READ MORE SUN STORIESFA PRESIDENT Prince William yesterday revealed he had a “hoarse” voice after screaming at England’s last-minute winner againt the Netherlands.ᐧ The Aston Villa fan told guests in Brixton, South London that the club’s striker Ollie Watkins scored a “hell of a goal”. More

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      Inside ‘quiet’ and ‘humble’ Ollie Watkins’ rise from sleepy Devon town with Motown singer mum to England super-sub

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      SCREAMING with ecstasy, supersub Ollie Watkins said the world felt like it was in “slow motion” as he celebrated shooting England to the Euro 2024 final.Thrown into the Dortmund bear pit in the 81st minute, Ollie etched his name into English sporting history by firing the Three Lions to their first final on foreign soil.Ollie Watkins, pictured with his partner Ellie Alderson and his kids Marley and Amara, has had a phenomenal rise to the topWatkins scored a last minute winner against the Netherlands to secure England’s spot in the Euo 2024 finalCredit: GettyLater in the stands, the “quiet” lad brought up in a sleepy Devon market town, and who used to play for non-league Weston-super-Mare AFC, was greeted with a kiss by his partner Ellie Alderson before hugging his mum Delsi-May.Interior designer Ellie, mother of Ollie’s children Amara, two, and one-year-old Marley, later said online: “You got your moment and you took it. I’m so proud of you.”Many fans had been clamouring for the Aston Villa striker to get more game time as England progressed through the tournament.Not least of those was his mum Delsi-May, a soul and Motown singer also known by her stage name Ruby Washington.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSBefore the game against the Netherlands, Delsi-May said in a moment captured on TikTok that she hoped “they finally let my son come on the f***ing pitch”.Unlike many of his peers, Ollie, 28, wasn’t cosseted as a young player by one of the great clubs of the Premier League.Rewind nine years to the footballing backwater of Basingstoke, in Hampshire.It was a blustery March day at the Ark Cancer Charity Stadium for a National League South clash between Basingtoke and Weston-super-Mare AFC in the sixth tier of English football.Most read in Euro 2024With the teams locked at 1-1 and the game drifting towards full-time, the visitors asked their teenage striker to warm up.In the 80th minute, on jogged Ollie Watkins — on loan from Exeter City. But there would be no last minute heroics. RISE OF WATKINSInstead, it was Basingstoke who scored a 90th-minute winner.Ollie’s familiarity with the tough tackles and rough pitches of non-league football may help to explain why he has managed to remain humble and grounded.Mum Delsi-May said: “Oliver is a man of very few words.“We’ve got a family group chat, and he never brags or anything, we literally have to draw everything out of him. He’s so humble and I love that about him.“He’s quite nonchalant about the fact that he’s doing something he loves. He assumes it’s the norm, but it’s not. I’m immensely proud.”A mark of Ollie’s warm and generous character is his friendship with Woody Stokes.Woody, who has Down’s syndrome and autism, had waited more than 90 minutes for Ollie to sign an autograph when he was playing for Brentford.Since then, Ollie has welcomed the 11-year-old into his box at Villa Park and during lockdown drove to his home to deliver Easter eggs.Ollie said: “It’s more than just him being a fan. We’ve got a close little friendship. He is involved with a charity called Skylarks, so I support them too.”Rising star Ollie playing for his youth sideThe striker performing for Exeter City’s under 16’sCredit: BPMIt speaks volumes of a man who, despite the riches of the Premier League, has remained true to his upbringing. Born in December 1995 in Torquay, Devon, dad Steven and mum Delsi-May split when Ollie was a child.He was raised in the small market town of Newton Abbot, on the fringes of Dartmoor.Bringing up Ollie, his brothers Richie, Dale and Jordan, and sister Charlotte alone, Delsi-May often took the children to her shows.Ollie said: “I got taken along to her gigs with my brother when I was younger. She also used to work on cruise ships and that’s when she was away. My singing? I probably let the family down with that but one thing I got from mum, I think, was a very good music taste.“My grandad listened to Frank Sinatra, mum listened to Whitney Houston, the blues, soul, and I like that stuff.”Ollie had been rejected for a place at Exeter City’s academy aged nine but a year later he made the grade.It meant Delsi-May having to juggle her work with a 40-mile round trip for his football training.She said: “I had to bomb it over to school, bring them back, get them something to eat, get them in the car, bomb it over to Exeter during rush hour. Then I had to make sure I got back in time for me to get to work.”Ollie’s close friend Matt Jay, a fellow pupil at South Dartmoor Community College and Exeter City’s academy, recalls his old teammate failing to initially make the grade.Midfielder Matt, now at League Two Colchester United, said: “I joined Exeter at under-nines.“I think the story is that Ollie didn’t make it that year, but came back the next.“You could tell he had something, but people develop at different rates. Exeter’s academy was all about technical ability.“I’m not saying that Ollie wasn’t blessed with that, but he wasn’t the best player there, for sure.“He was very fast but he was a late developer.”Ollie in action for Weston-Super-MareCredit: BPMOllie eventually did progress through the ranks for Exeter, winning a professional contract, and making his league debut against Hartlepool United in 2014.But he was far from the finished article. When Ollie and Matt were 18, they were sent on loan to non-league Weston-super-Mare AFC on the Somerset coast.Matt, 28, said: “It was difficult. It was our first loan. We probably thought it was going to be a bit easier than it was.“We used to travel up Tuesday and Thursday evenings for training, get back way past midnight.“But that was all part of the learning experience. And I think that helped Ollie a lot to realise that you weren’t going to just walk into a first team.“You see Marcus Rashford or Phil Foden coming through so young at great clubs, and we all think we’re going to do that. But the reality is, it’s not that easy.“There are times where you wonder if you’re going to make it. A lot of it is about timing.”Back at Exeter, Ollie broke into the first team and began banging in the goals.In 2017, Brentford, then in the Championship, signed him for £1.8million.After 45 goals in 132 appearances he was bought by Aston Villa for a £33million fee.In the season just gone, he scored 19 Premier League goals, helping Villa qualify for the Champions League. England had come calling in March 2021 — and Delsi-May was cleaning her car when Ollie broke the news.She said: “I’m glad he did when I was in the car, because I let out the biggest scream. If I’d have let that out in the street, people would have said, ‘Find that woman a mental hospital!’ I still can’t believe it. I’m immensely proud.”Ollie scored with his first shot on target on his England debut in a 5-0 win over San Marino at Wembley.He told the High Performance podcast just how much it means to him to represent his country.He said: “It’s one of the best feelings and one that I relish. I love it when I go out there. I’m standing there and singing the national anthem and I’ve got goosebumps.“Representing your country is one of the biggest honours, especially where the squad is at the moment.READ MORE SUN STORIES“I feel like I can do more, I’ve got a lot to bring to the table. That’s my aim — to achieve something great with them.”For this unassuming lad from Newton Abbot, that golden opportunity may come in Berlin on Sunday.The England star’s family at the EurosCredit: Splash More

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      Will there be an open-top bus parade in London if England win Euro 2024?

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      ENGLAND will be on the brink of making history on Sunday as they take on Spain in the final of Euro 2024. It is the first major final on foreign soil for the Three Lions, who were beaten in the final of Euro 2020 by Italy on penalties at Wembley. England beat Netherlands 2-1 on Wednesday thanks to Ollie Watkins’ late goalGareth Southgate’s side have stumbled their way through the Euros with a series of nerve-wracking but thrilling performances en route to the Berlin showpiece. England have needed last-minute goals, extra-time and penalties in all three of their knockout games so far, including their 2-1 win over Netherlands on Wednesday night. And Sunday could be Southgate’s crowning moment as England boss, with celebrations expected to take place next week if his side are victorious. So just how will the country celebrate if England beat Spain at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin?Will there be a bus parade if England win Euro 2024?According to The Standard, there are plans in place for an open-top bus parade if England beat Spain in the final of Euro 2024. It’s said that preparations for a parade are already at an advanced stage, with a bus set to drive towards Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, July 16. The route would start at Guildhall and drive past Trafalgar Square en route to The Mall and the Palace. On Monday, the team would be expected to meet new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Most read in Euro 2024England’s route to the Euro 2024 finalENGLAND began their Euros final campaign in Germany on June 16.Starmer will attend the final on Sunday in Berlin. However if England lose the final, there will be no parade. An England win would be historic and the men’s national team’s first major trophy since they won the World Cup in 1966. England beat Slovakia, Switzerland and Holland en route to the final while Spain overcame Georgia, Germany and France. More

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      Euro 2024 final stadium is steeped in twisted history and is home to English football’s most shameful episode

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      GARETH 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.The Olympiastadion in Berlin is where the Euro 2024 final will take place between England and SpainCredit: GettyThe stadium is famous for Jesse Owens humiliating Adolf Hitler at the OlympicsCredit: Hulton Archive – GettyBut for many the venue is also famous for England’s most shameful episodeCredit: RexThe FA shamefully ordered the England team to perform a Nazi salute during a friendly in 1938Credit: Getty – ContributorThe stadium has a capacity of 110,000 fansCredit: RexFor 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.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd 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.Hitler, coming to power in 1933, two years after the Games had been awarded to Berlin, decided that the entire event had to be homage to his ideology and ambition.He stuck with the site in the Grunewald Forest, to the west of the city centre, that had initially been chosen for the 1916 Games that were cancelled following the outbreak of World War One.Most read in Euro 2024BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSHitler used the Olympics to promote the supposed supremacy of the ‘Aryan race’Credit: Getty – ContributorThe ghosts of those Games still flit between the towers and the colosseum-style architectureCredit: GettyBut from what was originally just a stadium, Hitler demanded more, a sports complex named the “Reichssportsfeld” with the stadium at its heart.The original architect Werner March and his brother Walter were re-engaged.England fans gush ‘my manager’ as incredible footage emerges of Southgate going wild after reaching Euro 2024 final However, the main design changes were under the direction of Albert Speer, the “architect of the Third Reich” who later became Reich Minister of Armaments and War Production and who was handed a 20-year jail sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg Trials.Construction of the 330 acre site took just two years, with the stadium having a capacity of 110,000 fans, including a special stand for Hitler and the Nazi High Command.At the western end stood the 77m high Bell Tower, which gave a view of the entire city from the top and which contained the 9.6 tonne Olympic Bell, adorned with the Olympic Rings, an eagle, the year 1936, a depiction of the Brandenburg Gate and the motto “I call the youth of the world” between two swastikas.The design was deliberate. Hitler’s racial theories postulated that the “Master Race” were the natural inheritors of the Roman Empire.Echoing Rome’s most famous ancient monument leaned into that theory, while the Olympic Rings remain where they were hung between the two huge towers at the stadium site entrance.It was about power, grandeur, history and a warped and twisted view of all of them.Construction of the 330 acre site took just two yearsCredit: GettyIn the build-up to the Games, Hitler demanded that the IOC ban black Jewish athletes from taking partCredit: AP:Associated PressIn the build-up to the Games, Hitler demanded that the IOC ban black Jewish athletes from taking part.That was refused but fencer Helene Mayer, whose mother was Jewish, was the only Jew selected by the host country.The Opening Ceremony, devised and then filmed by Riefenstahl, was an exercise in pure propaganda, with Lithuania banned from taking part in the Games on the direct orders of the German government after the trials and convictions of two prominent local Nazi leaders.A number of countries, including Spain and Ireland, boycotted the Games, along with many Jewish athletes from other nations.When the Games commenced, Hitler was in situ to celebrate German victories as an endorsement of his regime, although he was only interested in shaking the hands of home winners.But those flawed claims of Aryan glory were to be blown apart by Owens, who back home in the Deep South was used to the deprivations caused by Segregation.England 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.In the space of seven days, he won four gold medals, in the 100m, long jump, 200m and 4x100m relay.Hitler, outraged at seeing a black athlete conquer, left the stadium early to avoid the medals ceremony although he was reported to have “saluted” the victor.According to Speer: “The Fuhrer was deeply annoyed by the series of triumphs by Owens.“People whose antecedents come from the jungle were primitive, he said with a shrug.“Their physiques were stronger than civilised whites and hence they should be excluded from future Games.”Enough said. Sickening and a foreshadowing of what was to consume the entire planet within three years.Those flawed claims of Aryan glory were to be blown apart by OwensCredit: GettyIn the space of seven days, he won four gold medals, in the 100m, long jump, 200m and 4x100m relayCredit: GettyYet a year before Germany invaded Poland to start that war, on May 14 1938, English football succumbed to the worst of political cowardice.In the build-up to the game, with Neville Chamberlain having opted for Appeasement rather than instigating the inevitable conflict, the Foreign Office sent a letter to the FA reminding them of the “broader political implications”.The night before the match, the FA and Government agreed to tell the players to perform the Nazi salute when the National Anthem was played – with Hitler’s key lieutenant Joseph Goebbels among the 110,000 crowd.That was not passed on to the players until they were in the dressing room before kick-off.While FA secretary Stanley Rous – later to become Fifa President and be the strongest proponent of allowing Apartheid-era South Africa to remain a member – insisted the players had “no objections”, that was angrily dismissed by some of them.Wolves’ Stan Cullis refused to comply and was omitted from the team and Stanley Matthews claimed: “The dressing room erupted. All the players were livid and totally opposed.”Matthews said the “infamous picture” caused him shame through the rest of his life. England won 6-3.READ MORE SUN STORIESIn 1984, four years after his death, the main road leading up to the stadium was renamed Jesse-Owens-Allee in his honour.One stain slightly removed. On Sunday, Southgate and his players can partially erase another. More