Gone are the days of bored England players looking for distractions at major tournaments, now they’ve barely got a spare moment.
Gareth Southgate’s generation of stars have moved well past that era, with their camaraderie and friendship part of the nation’s new period of success.
Club rivalries have been put aside to excel far further than their ‘Golden Generation’ predecessors, and it’s no surprise considering what’s on offer when they get together.
Euro 2020 brought darts matches and the famous inflatable pool unicorn, but Qatar has had even more on show…
Camel trip
Upon landing in Doha, the England squad got some nice surprises with unicorn murals and hotel room gifts, but it quickly turned into a learning experience.
Jack Grealish spoke to talkSPORT the morning after and revealed how he had been welcomed in his typically bewildered fashion.
“We all got given flowers,” he said. “I haven’t put them in a vase yet.
“There was a camel and that as well, I got on the camel’s back, there was a bird, I don’t know what bird it was.
“The camel fully stood up, I was so high, I was scared.
“I got on it but I didn’t think it would go as high as it did because I didn’t realise how big it would be. When it stood up it was so big.”
We’re just glad you didn’t get hurt, Jack…
Dave the cat
Before a Brazilian media employee made headlines for dumping a cat on the floor during a press conference, England already had their own.
The squad have grown close to a feline friend who paroles their Al Wakrah hotel, and Manchester City’s Kyle Walker has even suggested he might adopt it.
Speaking at a recent press conference, Walker was asked about the cat, and said: “Dave is fine.
“He had a little scrap with another cat the other night. I think they are fighting over territory and the food. But he’s doing well.
“Hopefully I can stick to my promise that he will come home with us if we were to win the World Cup. Dave’s fine, thank you for asking.”
Saka’s spelling bee
Footballer’s social media can often be pretty boring, but Bukayo Saka managed to find a new twist that quickly went viral.
Following his teammates around Doha, Saka created a TikTok account just to test his teammate’s spelling skills, with hilarious results.
Highlights include Jack Grealish spelling rhythm ‘Rhymth’ and Marcus Rashford missing out an R in embarrassed, much to the Arsenal star’s amusement.
Skill school
Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling might have already appeared in Soccer AM’s ‘Skill Skool’ as children, but it’s fair to say a number of their teammates could have joined them.
Particularly Grealish, who has appeared in multiple viral videos showing how simple footballers make the most difficult tasks look.
One clip inside a gym showed him and Man City teammate Phil Foden volleying a ball to each other from distance without it touching the ground, and it went up a level when he and Declan Rice did the same over a hotel swimming pool.
Musical influences
Robbie Williams’ previous best-known association with football was Soccer Aid and being Port Vale’s biggest fan, but now it might be inspiring England.
The pop legend was already in Qatar when Harry Maguire organised a concert for his teammates where he played his biggest hits.
Kalvin Phillips said: “Robbie was here with us last night. He was by the pool, he sang a few songs and it was a really good night. I had a chance to chat with him.
“Obviously he’s an unbelievably talented person but he’s a really nice person as well. He got on well with everyone. Knowing how big he is, it’s an honour to have met him.”
Williams isn’t the only star to be inspiring England, though, with Rice now friends with ‘The One and Only’ singer Chesney Hawkes.
The two met after Hawkes performed at half-time during England’s 6-2 win over Iran, and Rice is keen to keep the good luck charm going.
“We’re pals now – and we’ve got to get him to the games,” the West Ham midfielder said.
“We obviously won comfortably the other night with him there so we’ll get him singing The One and Only at every half-time. Hopefully we’ll get him back to No.1 as well.”
A messy good luck charm
Despite the England staff and players doing their best to provide the entertainment, an unlucky moment for Luke Shaw may be a tournament highlight for Mason Mount, Saka and Grealish.
Shaw was the unsuspecting recipient of a dollop of bird poo during a team dinner, leaving his teammates doubling over.
That could be good luck, though, with Shaw so far starting every game with England undefeated.
Hotel parties
It’s not just the England staff doing their best to make the players feel welcome, but the hotel employees too.
Following the team’s 3-0 win over Senegal in the Round of 16, the squad returned to their hotel with joyous scenes awaiting them as staff had England shirts, flags and even confetti.
Rice and Grealish joined in with the dancing staff, making sure the positive vibes are carried into a crunch clash with France.
It would be rude not to carry all that fun on until December 18.
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