Tom Heaton is shocked to be in Germany’s as England’s training goalkeeper - but is ready to push Gareth Southgate’s three stoppers all the way at Euro 2024.
Manchester United’s No 3 keeper last season, Heaton, 38, was part of England’s 2016 Euros squad which saw them dumped out by Iceland.
Heaton has three England caps with two of them under Gareth Southgate. He will work alongside Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale and Dean Henderson.
Tom Heaton has lifted the lid on the phone call he received from Gareth SouthgateCredit: PA
Heaton said: “It feels very special. Gareth rang me a couple weeks ago, floated the idea and I jumped at the opportunity.
"To come and be a part of it, at another major championship, is an honour and a privilege. I'm delighted to be here.
"It's different, but I think it's just a different challenge for me. I've come to support the boys, the goalkeepers, the outfielders, push them in training, try and offer them a different perspective and support in that manner.
"Of course, I'd love to be playing. I'm a football player that wants to play football matches, but it's not that role. It's a different role.
"But any opportunity to come and represent your country in some form. As I say, it was an amazing phone call and it didn't take long for me to say yes."
UEFA have implemented rules around watering of pitches at Euro 2024 to avoid a repeat of Manchester United's clash with Bournemouth.
In April, a Premier League game between the two sides led to mocking on social media after fans spotted one penalty area being noticeably water-logged at the Vitality Stadium.
Teun Koopmeiners withdrawing from Holland's squad could also be a transfer blow for Liverpool.
The Atalanta midfielder, 26, has been rated a prime target for new Liverpool chief Arne Slot.
Credit: Getty
But a muscle injury has ruled him out of Euro 2024.
So that could delay or complicate any approach to his Italian club.
The Holland squad, bossed by ex-Everton manager Ronald Koeman, already includes three Liverpool players in Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch.
Ex-Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has the hump after England beat his Austria squad to their five-star Euro2024 base in Blankenhain, writes CHARLIE WYETT.
The Three Lions arrived at the Spa & Golf Resort Weimarer Land yesterday and they will tomorrow train on the pitches for the first time.
Today, they trained in front of youngsters at a German fourth division ground in the city of Jena. But they will be based in Blankenhain for the rest of the time and Rangnick failed in his bid to have Austria stay there - as England got there first.
In his four years as Leipzig coach, Rangnick used to play golf at the resort as it was his favourite course in the region - so he wanted to remain there all the time during Euro2024.
Germany also trained in Blankenhain last week but they were always set to return to their normal base which is near adidas HQ outside Nuremberg.
England will train in Blankenhain for the next four days before flying to Gelsenkirchen on Saturday afternoon for Sunday’s Euro2024 opener with Serbia.
Manchester United legend and ex-Scotland boss Gordon Strachan is up to his old tricks!
The former midfielder and Sun Euros columnist, known for his sense of humour, was seen in a video wrapped in England's St George's Cross flag "going bonkers" in his support of Gareth Southgate's squad.
Credit: Darren Fletcher
Strachan, 67, is heard saying: "Hello, everyone. It's Gordon, here. Like everybody else, I'm excited about the Euros about to start.
"I want to wish the lads the very best of luck. Hope you score a bucketful of goals and, if you do, I'll be going bonkers."
He the lifts up and waves an England flag before roaring: "Come on England, it's coming home, Three Lions on the shirt, vindaloo. Southgate, all the best. Hope you score plenty."
England's group opponents Denmark flew into a pitch storm as they arrived in German, writes MARTIN LIPTON.
A new surface was laid at the Danes’ training ground in Freudenstadt, near Baden-Baden in the south-west of Germany, earlier this month.
But panicking Uefa chiefs ordered parts of the pitch to be ripped up and relaid on Monday over worries that the newly-laid grass had not set properly.
Large areas of the pitch had been discoloured and were peeled off and replaced with new rolls of grass imported from Holland.
The pitch was supposed to be relaid in April but that was delayed because of a late covering of snow, meaning hurried work on June 2.
Denmark's squad - including including Manchester United duo Rasmus Hojlund and Christian Eriksen plus Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - left Copenhagen this morning.
Karsten Paaske, head of the Danish Groundsman Association, warned: “When you build a new grass pitch, it must have time to settle.
“That usually takes several weeks, not just a few hours and with the team training straightaway then the pitch will not have enough time to rest. If it were me, I’d have a stomach ache!”
Chelsea's Ian Maatsen had to dump his glitzy summer holidays to compete in Euro 2024 for the Netherlands.
Maatsen, 22, spent the season on loan at Borussia Dortmund where he shone bright as he helped the Bundesliga giants reach the Champions League final where they lost 2-0 to Real Madrid.
Ian Maatsen had to cut his sunny holidays to Greece shortCredit: instagram @maatsen_
However, the full-back was initially left out of Ronald Koeman's squad for the European championship in Germany, much to the surprise of many.
Thus, the Dutchman decided to spend his summer holidays in Greece with his girlfriend where he would regroup while enjoying some sunshine.
The defender sailed for Mykonos and shared some snaps of his luxurious holiday on social media aboard his £564,000 yacht.
Maatsen and his girlfriend looked set for a month-long vacation in the Med while island hopping on a Hermes Yacht.
Maatsen has linked up with the Netherlands for Euro 2024 after a late call-upCredit: Getty
Holland have explained their latest Euro 2024 blow - the loss of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
The perennial Manchester United target sat out a 4-0 friendly win over Iceland due to an ankle injury.
Credit: EPA
The Dutch FA (KNVB) then announced he would not recover fully in time - and so would not be going to Germany.
A KNVB spokesman said: “Since De Jong’s entrance into the Dutch training camp, it was clear that his participation in EURO 2024 would be a race against time.
"Although it was initially hoped that he would be ready to play during the group stage of the European Championship, a planned examination yesterday and today showed that the ankle is not yet sufficiently resilient.
"Because his recovery will take more time, it was decided following consultation that Frenkie de Jong will not play in the European Championship."
Manager Ronald Koeman added: “He won’t be fit enough to play at this level for the next three weeks. There’s no point keeping him with us.”
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski is OUT of their opening Euro 2024 clash with Holland.
Barcelona ace Lewandowski, 35, pulled his right hamstring in Poland’s final warm-up game with Turkey.
The veteran striker, who went down clutching his leg after 33 minutes of the 1-0 win, has now been ruled out of Sunday’s game in Hamburg.
Polish team doctor Jacek Jaroszewski said: “Robert Lewandowski has suffered a strain in his hamstring, which excludes him from participating in the first match of the tournament.
“We are doing everything to ensure that Robert can play in the second match against Austria.”
England have trained for the first time since arriving in Germany for the Euros.
And Gareth Southgate's troops have given him a huge boost ahead of their tournament opener.
That is because every member of his 26-man squad is fit and took part in the first training session - even Luke Shaw.
Southgate was reportedly sweating on the fitness of FIVE players ahead of England's Group C opener on Sunday night - Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, John Stones, Jude Bellingham and Shaw, but all have passed fit.
Toni Kroos is anticipating a difficult challenge when Germany take on Scotland in the Euros opener.
He described Steve Clarke's side as falling into into “the category of opponents with which the national team has recently struggled very hard [against]”.
Kroos added: “The Scots became an unpleasant opponent – we know what kind of opponent awaits us… it’s a team that is physically very strong, compactly well defended and then also plays good counterattacks.”
Scotland assistant John Carver has played down fears over Andy Robertson's injury after the captain limped out of training.
The defender quit the session early as a "precaution", according to Carver.
He said: “He’s fine. I’ve just spoken to him there. It was a precaution, really. The ball just caught his ankle but he will train tomorrow. He’ll be fine.
“Obviously, at this stage, we are going to be extra cautious. He’s okay, he’s fine and looking forward to joining in tomorrow.”
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo won the hearts of Dutch supporters with a kind gesture ahead of kickoff in the game between The Netherlands and Iceland on Monday night.
The Oranje were playing their final pre-Euro 2024 warm-up game at home at De Kuip before departing for Germany.
Gakpo, 25, was winning his 24th cap for his country, starting on the left wing behind Memphis Depay and alongside Tijjani Reijnders and Simons in attack midfield.
Conditions in Rotterdam couldn’t be described as sunny ahead of the game and Gakpo spotted that one of the mascots was shivering in the cold.
Without a second thought, the former PSV captain took off his anthem jacket and slung it around the shoulders of the youngster ahead of a rendition of Het Wilhelmus.
Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has reportedly already named his team for the Euros opener against Scotland.
He is set to stick by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer despite his recent mistakes, while veteran pair Ilkay Gundogan and Toni Kroos are set to start in midfield.
Reported Germany XI to face Scotland: Neuer, Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Mittelstadt, Kroos, Andrich, Musiala, Gundogan, Wirtz, Havertz
Uefa will honour German football icon Franz Beckenbauer at the Euro 2024 opening ceremony ahead of Germany's game against Scotland on Friday.
Germany’s two living Euros winning captains, Bernard Dietz and Jürgen Klinsmann, will be joined by Beckenbauer’s wife Heidi as they bring the Henri Delaunay Cup – the trophy which will be presented to the winners after the final in Berlin on 14 July – onto the pitch before the tournament gets underway.
Beckenbauer captained West Germany to the 1972 UEFA European Championship and 1974 World Cup glory as a player while he also led them to the 1990 World Cup as coach.
The Kaiser was part of the Bayern Munich team that won three successive European Cups between 1974 and 1976