World Cup 2018: England to make 12-minute journey from hotel to airport today with Gareth Southgate leading battle cry of 80s pop classics
Three Lions players were put through their paces with a gym session at their Repino hotel on Monday
THEY are relaxed and they are ready.
England’s smiling, happy players, preparing for the biggest game of their careers, are taking a World Cup semi-final against Croatia in their stride.
These boys will be training for the final time in Repino this morning before a Boeing 737 crammed full of backroom staff and kit skips flies them over to Moscow.
After knocking over Tunisia, Panama, Colombia and Sweden on the way to reaching the last four, it feels like England belong in the Luzhniki Stadium tomorrow night.
The country has one more sleep and then the magic has to happen.
Soon after England’s players wake up in their luxury hotel rooms inside Moscow’s World Trade Centre, they will board the bus and head to the Luzhniki.
Flanked by police motorbike outriders with their sirens wailing, England will make the 12-minute journey along the Moskva River towards the venue.
Inside the battle bus, England’s boss Gareth Southgate will switch on the boom box and they will start to crank up the sound on some disco anthems.
Their world IS in motion.
Eric Dier revealed: “I call them karaoke tunes really, ones you can sing along to, old-school 80s and 90s. The players enjoy listening to them.
“They don’t put the volume up too loud, I don’t know if they are embarrassed about the music, or whether the speaker is bad. We have had a few sing-songs on the way back from games and hopefully it will continue on Wednesday.”
Southgate has the tone, the pitch and the mood just right. England’s players believe in him, respect his methods and approach to tournament life.
The small touches mean so much, with the incidentals suddenly taking on greater meaning to the squad at their ForRestMix hotel hideaway in Repino.
Yesterday was Ashley Young’s birthday, with the left wing-back turning 33 as he prepares for his battle with Croatia veteran 32-year-old Mario Mandzukic.
When Young returned to his hotel room after breakfast, it had been filled with birthday cards and balloons from the country’s coaching staff.
The England defender, who will keep Danny Rose out of the side tomorrow, said: “I had some nice stuff from the FA in my room, a few balloons and cards, and a few sweets which we won’t tell the fitness staff about.”
Young has made the most of his second coming as an England player under Southgate. He has established himself as the main man down the left, squeezing out Rose in the battle to face Croatia.
Manchester United’s star brings some experience to this young England team. Young added: “I don’t see fear from anyone. Every player is excited and confident, with their feet on the ground.
“There are no big egos. This game is brilliant and when you get to a World Cup semi-final, you go out there full of confidence. This is a fantastic young squad with so much still to give.
“Every player is here on merit. The way everyone gets on with everyone, the team spirit is fantastic.”
They really do believe. Only 23 players have represented England in a World Cup semi-final, but there will be another 11, at least, when Southgate hands in the teamsheet tomorrow.
The players know this is big, with the swell of support from the fans back home growing with every win.
Dele Alli, who keeps his midfield spot, added: “It’s weird. We are in a bubble at the training camp, coming back, then getting ready for the next game.
“It is not until you look at social media and you realise how big it is. We know we are in the semi-final, but we are so focused on the games you forget what we have done so far.
“Hopefully we can make it even more special and get to the final.”
FROM RUSSIA WITH LIVE All the latest action, news, goals and gossip from the World Cup
Dele is determined to improve on his last-eight showing against Sweden in Samara last Saturday.
He scored in the second half but was unhappy with his first-half. He said: “You can have games where your control isn’t as good as it should be or your decision making isn’t as sharp — and I felt it was one of those games.
“I’m not nervous about the semi-final. A little bit of nerves is good, but not where I’m like ‘I don’t want to go out there’.”
They have the whole nation behind them, hurtling towards Moscow later today convinced they will be back for Sunday’s final. Finally, there is every reason to believe them.