After getting the better of Slovakia, Gareth Southgate’s England were serenaded by the sweet sounds of Ed Sheeran going into the quarter-finals, the revered singer not commenting on whether they have been ‘The A team’ at Euro 2024.
Sheeran was watching on from the stands as the Three Lions snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in Gelsenkirchen last Sunday evening.
Ivan Schranz found the back of the net first, his goal looking like the winner for quite some time, before Jude Bellingham restored parity in dramatic fashion. Harry Kane then scored in extra-time to ensure England’s somewhat fortunate progression to the last eight.
On Monday, Sheeran was filmed performing some of his hit songs for the squad after they had completed a recovery session. The 33-year-old Ipswich Town fan is no stranger to playing for the Three Lions having belted out some tunes at St George’s Park during the last Euros in 2021.
Ed Sheeran visits the England camp to give them a private performance ????️ pic.twitter.com/vp0vBD5SEc— GRM Daily (@GRMDAILY) July 2, 2024
It remains to be seen how the intimate concert will impact the players, as supporters are eagerly hoping for an improved performance against Switzerland on Saturday.
The Swiss reached the quarter-finals having beaten Italy 2-0 the day before England were in action, with goals scored by Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas.
Southgate faces the challenge of making changes now for the clash, with standout performer Marc Guehi sidelined for the match in Dusseldorf due to the yellow card he received against Slovakia, and with other players dealing with fatigue.
Ivan Toney made a strong impression when he replaced Phil Foden, but it’s highly unlikely he will oust Harry Kane from the starting lineup. Cole Palmer, meanwhile, will probably start on the bench again.
