"I'm going to ask you to go again" - Prince William sends message to England squad as they jet off to Germany for Euro 2024
Prince William has sent a message to the England squad ahead of their trip to Germany, where they will compete in Euro 2024. The royal met up with the 26 players at St. George's Park on the morning of June 10.
The Three Lions will face Serbia in their first group-stage match on June 16 before meeting Denmark on June 20 and Slovenia on June 25. The Three Lions will be looking to secure two wins early on and cement their place in the knockout stages.
Their friendlies ahead of the competition were topsy-turvy, as the side beat Bosnia 3-0 before losing 1-0 to Iceland at Wembley in front of their fans. However, the England squad will be hoping they can put the defeat behind them and spur on towards consecutive wins in Germany.
Speaking to the squad before they left for Deutschland, Prince William, who is also the President of the FA, joked to the players (via Mirror):
"Guys, I was thinking on the way here, what could I say that could help? I was on the school run with the children and I said, 'What should I say to the England team?'"
"The best bit of advice I got was to eat twice the amount you would normally eat. I then had visions of you all running around with massive tummies and stitches on the pitch. Maybe take my youngest's advice with a pinch of salt."
Taking on a more serious tone and reminding the England squad about the rigors of the Euros, Prince William added:
"Tournament football is a big deal. All of you have had fantastic seasons, I've seen every single one of you play this season, you've done extremely well. Club football is now here, tournament football over here."
"As some of you know, tournament football is brutal and it requires a lot more than you've already given. You've had a long season and I'm going to ask you to go again."
Gareth Southgate will be hoping he can lead his squad to the final of Euro 2024 and potentially win the tournament.
"Everyone wants to beat us" - Prince William hails England squad for togetherness ahead of Euro 2024
The President of the FA also warned the England players about other teams at Euro 2024. There are notably a number of top teams, like France and Germany, who are expected to go all the way.
The Three Lions reached the final of the last Euros, losing to Italy, and they remain strong contenders. In his remarks to the players, Prince William reminded them (via Mirror):
"You need to know also, the England team has a target on its back. Everyone wants to beat us. You guys have all the talent in the world, you're a great squad, talent alone won't win us the tournament."
Gareth Southgate notably left out players like Jack Grealish, James Maddison, and Marcus Rashford from his final Euro 2024 squad. The former England defender will hope that his decision to trust younger players like Cole Palmer and Kobbie Mainoo yields positive results.