[Watch] Ben Stokes visits England's football team camp ahead of UEFA EURO 2024
England Test skipper Ben Stokes linked up with the national football squad on Saturday, June 1, as they prepare for the upcoming 2024 Euros in Germany. The all-rounder, on the other hand, is focusing on red-ball cricket after withdrawing himself from contention for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
With the majority of the England cricket team members stationed in the Caribbean for the tournament that kickstarted on Saturday, Stokes has been playing for Durham in the County Championship. Following the side's resounding win over Somerset last week, the all-rounder was spotted in the football team's camp.
Gareth Southgate has picked the provisional squad for the upcoming tournament, and the England manager has the hard task of narrowing down the extremely talented contingent ahead of the deadline on Friday, June 7. Currently, the 33-man unit is preparing for the tournament after an enthralling and demanding European club season came to an end.
Stokes was seen talking with Gareth Southgate, and in the video released by England, he was seen greeting players like skipper Harry Kane, Kieran Trippier, Ivan Toney, Cole Palmer, Marc Guehi, James Maddison, and Jack Grealish.
Ben Stokes was supportive of the England football team after their Euros 2020 heartbreak
The England football team were close to securing their first Euro title after claiming an early lead at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London against Italy.
However, the Three Lions could not fend away Italy as the contest was decided on penalties. Youngsters Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka all missed from the spot to hand England yet another heartbreak, this time on their own soil.
Ben Stokes came out as a vocal supporter following the defeat in the final and hailed the players for the exceptional campaign they had.
They have got so much more time on their hands to go out and win trophies for England. They are blessed with youth. Never has an England team been so exciting to watch. I am not massively into my football like some of the other lads, but I absolutely watched every time they have walked out into the field," Stokes told ESPNcricinfo in 2020.
"You know they will be devastated. They will probably hurt for a few more weeks. But I am sure once they get over it and have an understanding of what they are able to achieve, there will be a lot bigger occasions to come for those guys, no doubt," he added.
Ben Stokes also has a home summer to look forward to after the T20 World Cup ends. England are scheduled to host the West Indies and Sri Lanka in a bid to rise in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.