England’s players had a morale-boosting visit from their WAGs following the stuttering World Cup stalemate with the USA.
Manager Gareth Southgate gave permission for a 50-strong party of wives, fiancees, girlfriends and families to visit the team hotel as a pick-me-up ahead of their Battle Of Britain clash with Wales on Tuesday.
They included Harry Kane’s wife Katie, Megan Pickford, who is married to goalkeeper Jordan, Jack Grealish’s girlfriend Sasha Attwood and Kyle Walker’s partner Annie Kilner. It was the WAGs’ first visit to the team’s Souq Al Wakra Hotel since the start of the tournament.
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They strolled along the beach on the shore of the Persian Gulf and shopped in the souk surrounding the hotel.
The surprise visit had seemed unlikely after England decided to maintain an anti-Covid bubble during the tournament to protect the players from infection. Outsiders – including WAGs and families – were not allowed inside.
But the loved ones arrived on Saturday after boss Gareth Southgate admitted his side were “down and disappointed” following the drab 0-0 draw. Boos rang out from sections of the 8,000-strong England support in the 68,463 crowd at the Al Bayt Stadium on Friday night.
(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
(Image: Andy Stenning / Daily Mirror)
The result has left them still needing a draw against Wales to ensure they make the last 16. The players were greeted with hugs and kisses by their loved ones in the crowd after the final whistle.
And Southgate said he did not want the mood to be downbeat in the camp over the weekend.
Aaron Ramsdale’s fiancee Georgina Irwin, 26, Bukayo Saka’s girlfriend Tolami Benson, 22, Marcus Rashford’s girlfriend Lucia Loi, Ben White’s fiancee Milly Adams, and James Maddison’s partner Alexa Kennedy met the team before they return to training today.
(Image: georginamay_/Instagram)
(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
The group – which made their way to a hotel side entrance around 5.30pm – included the family of Harry Maguire, 29, who earned special praise from manager Southgate after the game.
Maguire told followers on Twitter: “Disappointed not to win but still a huge honour to win my 50th cap. Some amazing memories along the way and hopefully many more to come. Thanks to my families, staff, teammates and fans for all your support.”
Maguire was cheered on by his wife, children, parents Zoe and Alan, brothers Laurence, 25, Joe, 31, and sister Daisy, 21, against the US.
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
The England team has its biggest-ever following of family members at a tournament abroad with around 100 seats in their official allocation in the stands.
“No matter what happens on the pitch they are there for them off it,” a source said. Southgate admitted the performance against the USA may not have put a “smile on the face” of fans.
England managed just eight shots – their third-lowest total in World Cup history. They went 40 minutes without mustering a single effort on goal in a 40-minute period of the second half.
(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
Southgate said: “The objective is always to get out of the group and we’ve done that in two games in the past two tournaments. We can’t expect to do that all the time.”
Defender Kieran Trippier added: “I think a point is a fair result. Now we just have to recover and review the game and fully focus on the next battle against Wales.”
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