By Shekhar Bhatia and Andy Dolan and Dominic Hogan
16:14 10 Jun 2024, updated 16:40 10 Jun 2024
- The England squad left St George’s Park as they make ready to fly to Germany
- They kick off their European Championship campaign against Serbia on Sunday
- Click here to follow Mail Sport’s Euro 2024 WhatsApp Channel for all the latest breaking news and updates from Germany
England’s Euro 2024 hopefuls flew off to Germany on Monday after revealing face creams, worn-in slippers and computer games were among the huge luggage consignment that accompanied them.
The players made their way from St George’s Park to Birmingham Airport where their plane was waiting to whisk them away to Germany and a shot at bringing home the first piece of silverware in 58 years.
The players were kitted out in all-black Nike gear, complete with official England badges as they made their way down the runway.
They wore black tracksuit shorts and trousers, black t-shirts with an England badge and Nike swoosh down the middle, as well as Nike tracksuit jackets as they departed St George’s Park and boarded their plane.
Players posed for pictures in front of the plane as they made their way up the steps, with the squad and Gareth Southgate all smiles.
Captain Harry Kane risked being the brunt of his team-mates’ jollity when was asked what his essential travel item was that he had packed to take to Germany.
‘What have I packed in my bag? I am boring. I have got the basics like iPad, headphones and a bit of face moisturiser. The missus will be happy with that.’
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Former England women’s star Jill Scott then asked him: ‘So if you look good, you play good?’
Kane replied: ‘Exactly, that’s how it goes.’
But England’s all-time leading goal scorer said the team were serious about bringing the European Championship trophy home next month.
He said the ‘perfect combination’ was him winning the Golden Boot and leading England to victory, but he would still be happy if he didn’t score and ‘England brought it home.’
Declan Rice of Arsenal packed his PlayStation and said: ’We all have them, without them we would be lost.’
But he added: ‘It is a privilege and honour and it feels very real now. It is proper now.
‘We want to make history. I know we say it all the time, but we genuinely have a group and a manager who really believe.
‘We have a confidence that we can go there and do something really special. And of course, with that comes hard work. That is going to be the main thing.
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‘Hard work as a team, unity and togetherness and with everyone behind us at home, we are going to feel that for sure.
‘So stick with us, be positive and let us see what happens.’
He said he enjoyed spending hours with his team mates ‘talking nonsense’ and Love Island was always a topic.
Pickford was spotted leaving for the coach to the airport with a personalised rucksack featuring a picture of himself on the back beneath the Wembley arches, complete with his initials ‘JP’ and the names ‘Megs’ and ‘Arlo’.
England of course head to Germany as one of the favourites given the depth in quality that Southgate can call upon, although they have not won a major tournament since 1966.
They come into the tournament off the back of two underwhelming friendly performances against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland, winning the former but suffering a morale-bruising 1-0 defeat by the latter on Friday.
Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 19, revealed one of his luxuries he had planned was his favourite ‘old slippers,’ as he prepares for his first major tournament away with the senior side.
He said he was ‘buzzing’ when he found out he had been selected for his country in his first season in the Premier League and was happy to share the news with his supportive overjoyed father.
The players signed autographs and chatted with fans at St George’s Park before boarding a coach to their plane which lands in Germany tonight.
The team will make a luxury hotel in Blankenhain their base while battling to end nearly 60 years of footballing hurt for England.
At the the Weimarer Land Spa and Golf Resort, which England have paid approximately £850,000 for, the players will find three golf, a padel court and even a robot called Robbie, who only speaks German, to serve the players and collect their dishes.