Gareth Southgate‘s decision to keep his England players’ WAGs away from the tournament to avoid them becoming a distraction may have led to a cool atmosphere between them, it’s been suggested.
Instead of being based in Germany with their boyfriends and husbands for the tournament, the WAGs have been flown in and out for rest day reunions after each match.
The complexity of this operation was illustrated yesterday when WAGs were seen emerging from some six different private jets to visit the Three Lions’ training base before their quarter-final tie against Switzerland on Saturday.
The decision to keep them away apart from on visiting days was taken after suggestions in previous tournaments that they have overshadowed the team’s efforts – particularly at the previous tournament in Germany in 2006 when the antics of the likes of Victoria Beckham, Coleen Rooney, Cheryl Cole, Abbey Clancy and Alex Gerard became notorious.
But a WAG insider told MailOnline today: ‘The fact that the current group of players’ wives and girlfriends haven’t been spending all the Euros together has definitely affected the atmosphere.
Dani Dyer, partner of Jarrod Bowen, 27, was seen yesterday in a denim jacket over a knitted cream mini-dress, paired with £790 Louis Vuitton mules, carrying one of her children
Irish model and dancer Aine May Kennedy, 27, the girlfriend of midfielder Conor Gallagher, 24, was seen carrying a bag from luxury fashion brand Jill Sander
‘It’s not that they aren’t getting along well or have broken up into rival groups. There’s no WAGs at war or anything.
‘But keeping them away has definitely affected the atmosphere. They don’t all know each other at all well – and they haven’t had the chance to bond. So there’s a coolness there which is only natural in the circumstances.’
They were speaking after pictures showed the women, stylishly dressed and clutching designer handbags, arrive at Erfurt-Weimar Airport in various jets which had embarked from different airports in Britain in an operation estimated to have cost a staggering £420,000.
Megan Pickford, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s wife, dubbed the current ‘chief WAG’ was seen emerging off one plane while Anouska Santos, Luke Shaw’s partner, was seen leaving another one.
Ellie Anderson, the childhood sweetheart of striker Ollie Watkins, both 28, was seen disembarking wearing Armani sunglasses on the overcast morning.
Television personality Dani Dyer, partner of Jarrod Bowen, 27, was spotted in a denim jacket over a knitted cream mini-dress, paired with £790 Louis Vuitton mules, carrying one of her children.
Their separate but ostentatious arrival has prompted speculation that tensions may be running high between them in a throwback to the days when WAGs were divided into toxic cliques and overshadowed what the players were doing on the pitch with their nightclub and shopping antics
Declan Rice’s partner, Lauren Fryer, 25, was also spotted touching down in Germany yesterday
The squadron of planes were carrying WAGs including goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s wife Megan (pictured), 28, – seen hiding behind an umbrella held by a crew member
But the source told MailOnline: ‘These Euros don’t have the up-market hen party vibe that many of the WAGs enjoyed at past tournaments.
‘They haven’t been hitting night clubs or going shopping because they just fly in for a game and then return home as soon as they can.’
It may look a bit odd to a lot of outsiders who might be thinking that them arriving in separated small groups means they’ve broken off into different cliques, like they did at previous tournaments, and are not getting on well.
‘But that’s not the case at all. It’s more about the logistics of where they are embarking from and so on.
‘But they’re not all friends and many barely know each other so it’s more that the atmosphere among them is a trifle awkward – in a nervous way. There’s a bit more distance between them than we’ve seen before.
‘These current WAGs are generally a lot nicer, get along much better than previous ones and generally are more down to earth. They’re not prima donnas although you might get that impression from the pictures of them arriving in private jets wearing expensive designer gear and looking like prima donnas.’
Underpinning the WAGs decision not to travel together were more practical matters. Three jets arrived from Dusseldorf, which carried around a dozen WAGS and some players’ relatives who had stayed on after England’s game against Slovakia on Sunday afternoon.
Another jet arrived from Birmingham and one from Dortmund.
Aaron Ramsdale’s partner Georgina Irwin touches down in Erfurt. Ramsdale has not featured for England yet
The WAGs arrived on six private jets (all pictured at Erfurt-Weimar Airport yesterday morning)
Anouska Santos, Luke Shaw’s girlfriend touches down in Erfurt. Her partner has not played yet due to his injury
The source added: ‘The biggest jet only had 14 seats and not everybody could fit into it. Not only did you have the WAGs, but you had nannies, friends and relatives of some of the players. That’s why different jets were required.’
Unlike in previous years, the Football Association has chosen not to have an official WAGs delegation at the Euros, and they have flown in and out of Germany for each of England’s games.
The FA’s decision has been influenced by the infamous events of Baden Baden at the 2006 World Cup when WAGs such as Victoria Beckham and Coleen Rooney split into cliques and dominated the headlines with their excesses while staying together.
The source revealed that following England’s victory on Sunday night all the WAGs at the match stayed at five star The Wellem hotel in Dusseldorf so that they could travel to the team’s training base for the family day.
All have now departed for the UK and will be returning for Saturday’s quarter-final match.
The source added: ‘Following the Slovakia match they all got onto coaches and were taken to the hotel and went straight to bed. There was no wild partying.’
The present-day WAGs seem a far cry from the days when the likes of Victoria Beckham ruled the WAG roost and was considered ‘queen WAG.’
The 2006 World Cup and the events in Baden Baden have become a legendary part of WAG folklore.
At the time, the WAGs were said to be divided into two cliques; one led by Victoria who it was alleged only ever spoke with Cheryl Tweedy, who was dating Ashley Cole at the time and ‘looked down’ on the others.
Kyle Walker joins Annie Kilner in the stands after England’s dramatic win against Slovakia
Skipper Kane kisses his wife Katie in the stands after scoring the winner for England on Sunday
Ollie Watkins sits in the stands with partner Ellie Anderson after the game
A rival clique was led by Coleen McLoughlin, then Wayne Rooney’s finance and was made up of Alex Curran, the wife of Steven Gerrard; Elen Rivas, who was then engaged to Frank Lampard and Carly Zuker, who was dating Joe Cole at the time.
They were all staying in the £1,000 per night Brenner’s Park Hotel in the spa town on the edge of the Black Forest and regularly hit a local nightclub where bottles of champagne cost £200.
The 2006 batch of WAGs regularly featured in the media and became known for big sunglasses, designer bags and hair extensions.
Reports at the time claimed Victoria had bought 30 pairs of jeans with her while Coleen was said to have insisted on bringing her spray tanning expert with her.
A source said: ‘When Coleen’s group would go out shopping, spending thousands of pounds or for other trips, they wouldn’t invite Victoria and Cheryl along. But Victoria was the undisputed top WAG, and nobody messed with her.
‘The current group is not like this at all. They are not party girls and don’t really set fashion trends like Victoria and some of the others did. You won’t see them going to night clubs in Germany and then appearing in the press the next day.’
And then there was the seat-shifting shenanigans of Jamie Vardy’s wife Rebekah during the 2016 Euros in France and the explosive High Court battle that ensued with Coleen in the Wagatha Christie affair.
The source added: ‘The type of WAG you have now is very different, they’re just a bit nicer and more low key.’
Conor Gallagher hugs Aine May Kennedy in the stands after England’s comeback victory
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford greets Megan Pickford in the crowd in his England tracksuit