FA turn Three Lions HQ into entertainment mecca to keep team roaring not snoring
FA OFFICIALS have spared no expense in making sure tournament cabin fever doesn’t undermine England’s bid for success at Euro 2016 in France.
And as the Three Lions stars head to their luxury Chantilly base 25 miles outside Paris this week to prepare for Saturday’s opening Group B clash with Russia in Marseille, Sunday People Sport can reveal the full extent of the planning to make sure the Three Lions roar, not snore, in France.
From film nights in the newly-installed cinema room, to computer games and bonding sessions – every effort has gone into making sure players don’t go into their shells during the hours spent hanging around the swish five- star Auberge du Jeu de Paume.
All of the England players will be given a Spotify account for downloading music as well as having personal Xbox or PlayStation consoles when they arrive in Chantilly.
Darts, table tennis and table football provide the potential for minit ournaments – with skipper Wayne Rooney heavily involved in making sure the entertainment is team-orientated during the downtime.
For no one knows better than Rooney exactly what it means to be a youngster in a man’s world.
And that’s why he’s played a leading behind-the-scenes role in making sure England have all bases covered when it comes t o keeping Roy Hodgson’s young Lions entertained and primed to deliver their best.
Hodgson has included youngsters like 18-year-old Manchester United star Marcus Rashford.
Then there’s Tottenham duo Dele Alli and Harry Kane as well as Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling – all new to the pressures of being England players in a tournament. As an 18-year-old, Rooney took Euro 2004 in Portugal by storm, scoring four goals in f our games before limping out of the quarter-final clash with Portugal which England lost on penalties.
Since those early days, Rooney admits he’s often struggled with boredom during long spells away at World Cup and Euro tournaments and on pre- season tours to the Far East and America with Manchester United.
Often prisoners in their own hotels with security sometimes an issue, players complain of isolation and boredom as they kill time between training and games.
Exceptional
Former England skipper John Terry, Rooney and the rest of England’s stars at the luxurious Royal Bafokeng compound in Rustenburg complained of such problems during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
And Rooney admits it’s an issue many players face – especially young ones.
“It’s boring obviously! I’m sure if you asked any players from any country they’d say that was the case. You train, you go back to the hotel and then you’re in the hotel all day. For a footballer that’s just a normal part of going away and it’s t he s ame in pre-season.
“But this is a huge moment in your career and for English football and you have to try and make the most of it and enjoy it,” says Rooney.
“There have been a couple of tournaments I’ve been to where I haven’t enjoyed it as much as I should have done.
“So that would be my advice to the young lads in the squad going to France now – these tournaments don’t come around very often so enjoy it!
“If we do that and play to our capabilities then I am sure we will do well.”
Those around the camp say they’ve never seen a more unified and happier group of England players.
No cliques, no divisions – and no prima donnas. And credit for that, say sources in the group, must go to Rooney who has made sure every newcomer to the squad has been made welcome and instantly at home.
“Wayne has proved to be an exceptional captain – perhaps one of the best England have had for many years,” said an England insider.
“From the start with this young group of players, Roy Hodgson wanted to provide the platform for a club environment and Wayne has implemented that brilliantly in his role as captain.”