Kane, Bellingham and 1000’s of England followers land for Euros showdown

England fans are rallying behind the Three Lions as captain Harry Kane, talisman Jude Bellingham and team-mates had to fight back from going a goal down in this evening’s last 16 Euro 2024 showdown with Slovakia.

There were early clashes and a flurry of yellow cards at the Arena AufSchalke, after manager Gareth Southgate made one change to his starting XI following last Tuesday’s underwhelming goalless draw with Slovenia.

He picked Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo in place of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, as England chase a place in the Euros quarter-finals in Germany.

Supporters have been thronging into the German city today and calling for Southgate‘s team to play without fear and silence critics with a thumping victory – while back home in England bars and fan parks are brimming with excitement, and expats tuned in from holiday resorts such as Magaluf in Spain.

Only 6,500 tickets were officially available for tonight’s Round of 16 encounter, but hordes more than that number have already converged on Gelsenkirchen and started raising their beer glasses six hours before kick-off.

Crowds belted out ‘Football’s Coming Home’, tribute songs to Jarrod Bowen and Phil Foden and the national anthem, as hopes grew for manager Southgate’s men to perform like potential European champions.

More than 30,000 England fans are expected to be inside the 60,000-capacity Arena AufSchalke to cheer on captain Harry Kane and his team-mates, full of hope despite lacklustre performances in the group stages.

Three Lions supporters demonstrated once again that, despite lack of official tickets, they had managed to circumnavigate the system and turn out in force.

England and Middlesbrough fan Paul Walker, 51, who was with his 17-year-old daughter Kalea, said: ‘It will be a dream come true for us to see England play here in Germany.

‘I live here now and make the trip back to England to see the team at Wembley – we were lucky to get tickets in the ballot and are so looking forward to seeing a 3-0 England victory.

‘The team have been criticised unfairly over the group matches because we came out top and undefeated.

‘It is a knock-out match now and we must not play defensively. We have got players like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham who can put the fear into any team in the last 16.

‘England have got to be on fire and show Slovakia they are in charge. We have the team to do that, with some of the best players in the world.’

Mr Walker, who like his teenage daughter wore an England shirt, added: ‘If you look around you, you see so many England fans who have spent a lot of money and put in the travelling time to get here.

‘We are all here for England and I know that will not be lost on the players – we really are the team’s 12th man.

‘But even if we win this cup I do think it is time for Southgate to leave and I would like to see Jurgen Klopp or Eddie Howe of Newcastle take over. We do need a fresh start.

Kalea, who has travelled to Wembley several times with her father, added cautiously: ‘I think we can win, but probably like 2-1.’

Technician Keith Randall, 31, from Sheffield said: ‘England fans are amazing and we support the boys in every game.

‘What people have to remember is that they are representing their country and that is the biggest honour for them. But I always feel they are playing for us as supporters too.

‘The stadium is going to be mostly full of England (fans) and I can’t imagine what the pubs are going to be like back home. Come on England!’

Two Slovenians also travelled to support England and had the flag of St George draped over their shoulders.

Michael Mikla, a 25-year-old from Ljubljana who was with his friend Anja, said: ‘I have supported England since I was a boy.

‘When England played Slovenia last week, a draw was a perfect result for me because it meant both teams could progress.

The salesman added: ‘I would love England to be in the final. The players are the best and they play football with style.’

Some 16 members of regional league Holsworthy AFC were among hundreds of fans who packed into The Square in Magaluf to watch England do battle against Slovakia.

Proudly wearing England shirts – but no sun cream – they downed cold beer in the 30-degree heat.

They were joined in the dedicated fan zone by joint stags Scott Wilkinson and Danny Haworth from Accrington, Lancashire.

Scott, 35, a company director – who was dressed as a baby – predicted an easy England victory, saying: ‘Four-nil England, no problem,;

However Michael Cross, from Leeds, claimed it would be a much tighter match, saying: ‘England will win but it won’t be a walkover – 2-1 England.’

Nursery school workers Milly and Lillie, from Brighton, said they were looking forward to a good match.

Sipping a glass of champagne, 21-year-old Milly said: ‘It’s going to be great. The boys will come through. I think the score will be 2-1 England.’

England beat Serbia 1-0 in Gelsenkirchen in their opening Group C game, thanks to a goal by Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, followed by a 1-1 draw with Denmark and a goalless stalemate against Slovenia.

If Southgate’s side win today’s match which kicks off at 5pm, they would then face Switzerland in the quarter-finals next Saturday at the same time. 

Switzerland yesterday progressed by triumphing 2-0 over reigning champions Italy, who previously beat England on penalties in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.

Today’s Gelsenkirchen clash comes one day short of 18 years since England were knocked out of the 2006 World Cup in the same Arena AufSchalke venue, defeated on penalties in a quarter-final against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.