Euro 2024: Prince William meets Gareth Southgate’s England squad

Prince William met England’s Euro 2024 squad before they travelled to Germany for the tournament.

The players and staff arrived at their training base in Blankenhain on Monday night.

After two friendlies last week, the players had been given the weekend off with their families before meeting up again on Monday for the journey.

Before they travelled, Prince William, who is the Football Association’s president, met the players and manager Gareth Southgate at England’s St George’s Park national football centre in Burton-upon-Trent.

He presented shirts to the 26 players and delivered a speech, including some advice from his youngest child – six-year-old Prince Louis.

Prince William, an Aston Villa fan, told the players: “I was on the school run this morning with the children and I said, ‘What shall I say to the England team today?’

“The best bit of advice I got to ask you was to eat twice the amount you normally would eat.

“So I then had visions of all of you running around with massive great tummies and loads of stitches on the pitch, so I think maybe take my youngest’s advice with a pinch of salt.”

Schoolchildren from the Midlands were invited to the event to mark England’s send-off.

Southgate’s squad will depart for Germany later on Monday before their first group game against Serbia on Sunday.

England, runners-up at Euro 2020, also face Denmark and Slovenia in Group C.

They lost 1-0 to Iceland in their final warm-up match on Friday.

The tournament starts on Friday, with hosts Germany against Scotland.