- LISTEN It all begins! EUROPA DAILY: What moment did the Euros change for England?
- England players were harassed by fans at their training base on Friday
- Ollie Watkins also spoke to the media ahead of Sunday’s final in Berlin.
England’s Euro 2019 heroes were mobbed by fans at their training base in Blankenhain on Friday as the countdown to Sunday’s final in Berlin is already underway.
Two days after their dramatic semi-final win over Holland, England captain Harry Kane and goalscoring hero Ollie Watkins ventured out for a stroll – but there was no chance of it being a quiet one.
They were greeted by a large crowd of fans eager to see the players who led the Three Lions to their second consecutive Euro final.
Kane and Watkins were more than happy to take time out and pose for selfies with the young fans, while they also signed footballs and shirts for the gathered crowd.
There has seemingly been a disconnect between the team and the fans at times this summer following England’s disappointing performances in the early stages of the tournament.
England stars were mobbed by fans at their training base on Friday, with captain Harry Kane autographing shirts and footballs for them.
England’s semi-final hero Ollie Watkins was also happy to pose for selfies with supporters.
Even Gareth Southgate had plastic beer cups pelted him after England’s final group game, but England have since turned things around and gotten the fans back on their side.
They are now just one game away from ending 58 years of pain, and fans will want to be in Germany to say they were part of history if England can get the job done on Sunday.
It was a particularly busy day for Watkins, as he also faced the media on Friday afternoon.
Watkins came off the bench to score the 90th-minute winner on Wednesday night and was understandably in high spirits after the biggest moment of his career.
England had already been in this position three years ago, but were beaten on penalties by Italy in the last Euro final at Wembley.
Watkins was not involved in that team, but revealed that the players will still try to learn from that experience to do better this time around.
“When you play a game that means so much to you, you learn from it so you don’t make the same mistakes,” Watkins said.
“The last Euro is still very much on the minds of the boys and we will work hard on Sunday.”
Watkins has had to wait patiently for his opportunities, having been limited to just two substitute appearances in England’s six games.
Watkins spoke to the media and insisted he was ready to produce another moment of magic in Sunday’s final.
England lost on penalties to Italy in the last European Championship final three years ago and Watkins said the players were desperate to learn from their mistakes to do better this time around.
But he showed what he could do in the semi-final with his goal that will go down in English football history, and he is ready to produce another moment of magic if called upon this weekend.
Watkins added: “I’ve got that fire inside me, I’m ready when I’m called upon. Hopefully, I’ll get the call to get back on the court and hopefully I can perform at my best.”
“In the early stages we didn’t play our best football, everyone knew that, but the most important thing is that we didn’t lose games. As the tournament progresses we are improving.
“We are all there as a team to work hard and come together.”
