Football Daily - Harvey Elliott fires England through to Euros final

Episode Date: June 25, 2025

Ben Haines presents reaction to Lee Carsley’s England U21 side reaching the Euros final. Nedum Onuoha, Stephen Warnock, and John Murray react to England's win in Bratislava.A brilliant brace from Liverpool's Harvey Elliott saw England run out 2-1 winners against The Netherlands. Hear from the Young Lions' hero on the night, as well as England's U21 manager.Also hear from Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson.Timecodes: 00:35 Harvey Elliott post-match 03:40 England through to the final 05:55 Elliott provides star quality 07:45 England have found the formula 11:50 Lee Carsley post-match 15:45 Carsley the "difference maker" 24:35 Elliot Anderson shines 25:40 Anderson post-match 27:45 England favourites?

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Welcome to The Inside Track with me, Rick Edwards. This is the podcast that takes you inside Formula One and Red Bull Racing like never before. And I'm Matt Magindy. And thanks to my exclusive access, I'll be getting up close and personal with Red Bull Racing this season. And this week I'll be answering your questions and you can literally ask me anything. I just think Matt will probably regret that. 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, I think it was practice,

he crashed and he left one hand on the steering wheel, he'd end up breaking his wrist. Experience Formula One like never before by tuning into the inside track, wherever you get your podcasts. Music Radio Podcasts. The Football Daily Podcast with Ben Hayes. Hello and welcome to the Football Daily Podcast on a night where Lee Carsley's England Under-21s made it back to back Euros finals, beating the Netherlands 2-1 on the night courtesy of a wonderful Harvey Elliott brace. Football correspondent John Murray is out in Bratislava and we can go straight to him for some immediate reaction.

Yes, in the tunnel, in the stadium here in Bratislava I'm joined by, well, England's hero. Harvey Elliott of Liverpool and England, two goals in the semi-final, tough conditions out there. Tell us all about it. I mean, you explained it perfect. Really tough conditions. You know, the first half, especially when the sun was beaming down on us, you know, it was really hard to kind of get to grips with it and catch a breath. But, you know, one thing about this team is you know we don't give up to the very end and we keep fighting all of these you

know excuses that we could have you know it's completely out the way and you know we just need to focus on the task at hand which was winning and you know we done that. And they were tough opponents weren't they as you knew they would be? Yeah incredible. Every Dutch team have incredible players. The start of the play that they have, they're very well drilled and made it really tough for us at times. But you know, it's just about focusing on ourselves, not getting too wound up and when we have bad moments in the game, which we did, it's gonna happen, it's football, we

just need to big ourselves up and keep going and we did that. It's part of the game, isn't it, at this level, when a player such as yourself, playing at one of the biggest clubs in the world, who often has to wait for their opportunity, but at this level, in this team, people are looking to you to deliver. And you've done that, but there's a pressure on that, isn't there? There's a big pressure. I think being at a big club alone is, not pressure as it is, it's nothing that I haven't

experienced, haven't been through before. I know what I need to do, I know how to handle it. And it's about nights like tonight, taking them opportunities and trying to show my class and hopefully I did that tonight. One with the right and one with the left. Oh yeah, I think I need to trust my right foot a bit more to be honest because when I hit the back of the net I was surprised with myself and decided to do a silly knee

slide which really hurt but it was just one of those moments you see to live in the moment and enjoy it and I did. And just a final word back in the final and clearly against either Germany or France that is going to be possibly the toughest match that you've had so far. Of course, yeah we both know them teams really well. We faced Germany in the group stages and face France a few campaigns ago and yeah as I said we know the quality but they know our quality as well it's just about making sure we go out and perform like we have done last couple of games and you know rest recover and pretty much go again. Well congratulations Harvey, I see Andy from the FA has got a Perspex award for you,

Man of the Match award so you can go and collect that. Thank you. Thank you very much. Well done. Thanks, Harvey. Harvey Elliott, two goals in England, two-one win against Netherlands in the semi-final here in Bratislava, Ben. Lovely stuff. Thanks, John. Harvey Elliott's certainly showing his class out there this evening and as he mentioned, if you haven't had a chance to watch the goals there, make sure you do go and watch the goals and catch Harvey Elliott's celebration. He's gone for the power slide on his knees which has gone slightly wrong but that doesn't take anything away from his wonderful finishes to get England through to the final. Also out in Bratislava for us Stephen Warnock. Stephen, some conditions that this England side had to face this evening.

Yeah, very difficult and Harvey alluded to it there, how difficult it was and same for the both teams though. I think England dealt with it extremely well. I think they moved the ball well and tired out the Dutch team but on a whole this is very difficult conditions to play in. I spoke about it in commentary that the game on Saturday night will actually be 8pm which will probably cool the stadium a little bit more. We can start to feel it cooling off a little bit now and we're what, 10 past 8 so this is in and around the time that where the England team will be playing on Saturday night so that will certainly help the players.

Yeah a huge challenge for England tonight when they came through with flying colours and I'm pleased to say also joining us former Manchester City defender Naida Manoa. Na. Neyda, I know you will have enjoyed that tonight, not just in terms of the result but tactically a really interesting one this evening as well. Yeah, absolutely. I think I'll hold my hand up and say the way I saw them in the group stages didn't really impress me very much but then in fairness the last two games I felt they've been great. I think the organisation that they have with and without the ball, the fact that they can break at speed, the fact they can defend really well, defending the centre of the goal, I thought Cresswell and Kwanzaa, balls coming into the box, you know they've

been great in these knockouts and they're a really good team to watch I feel. I think when I was watching the Netherlands play against them today I was thinking well maybe Poku from the Netherlands could do something but from the England perspective everybody was doing the right job, they were doing the right things pressing at the right time and they're all doing it together because I think in my opinion from a few years ago one of the issues with 21s is that you'd almost have individuals trying the hardest to just impress in terms of what they're doing but they very much feel like a collective, they feel like a team and then they have that bit of star power as well. I've seen Harvey Elliott do what he did today and I love the

fact that he did call out his knee slide, the incident but it's brilliant you know it was a lot of fun to watch because that is a very assured England side and on this sort of stage here they did look like a team they're trying to defend their title which is all credit to them. Yeah we did just see Harvey Elliott start to dial it up Stephen didn't we around kind of the 60 minute mark he just grew into the game and then you really saw his class shine through. Yeah, he had a little chat with Lee Carsley, the England manager down in front of us on the left hand side and he wandered out onto this left hand side. But I always feel he's

at his best when he drifts. The hard thing is when he drifts is you lose your shape out of possession then when you do lose the ball but you want him to be influential when he is on the ball and we saw those those moments of quality he came on to the Down onto the left-hand side, but he actually drifted out into that right-hand side where he scored the first goal He's got such great ability Harvey Elliott It's just it's almost like you feel like you want him to do it more consistently because you know, it's there but When you think about his teammate at Liverpool Mo Salah He talks about moments and Harvey Elliott has just produced two moments

in the game that has essentially won it for him. But his overall performance tonight was very good. Steve, in regards to, say, the way England have played in these last two games against Spain and obviously today against Netherlands, we've been on this show a few times in the last week or so. Did you believe that this is who they could be, or did you think it was heading in the other direction?

Because I'll be honest, I didn't see this coming. No, I don't think we did. I think we thought it was going to be very difficult, but we since we've flown out here, we've had the opportunity to speak to Lee Carsley and I spoke to Lee yesterday and he basically said, it's very difficult because the team, the turnaround in between games is two and three days and he hasn't because he went to with the first team, he's missed that opportunity to work with this group of players so the turnaround has been very quick and you know what it's like now to try and

get those tactics across to the players to integrate the players the new players into the squad can be very difficult so credit to him to be able to grow this squad so quickly in such a short space of time. Do you think Stephen that's why we didn't see too much in terms of change tonight? Because Lee Carstens has not been afraid to mix it up and to change things strategically. But I think that's because he was trying to find the formula, he was trying to find the right personnel who fitted, who did become a team and not a team of individuals.

I think he's got a big team selection in the final because I thought Tyler Morton was a standout player against Spain and I felt that control in my field tonight would have been ideal in a game like this and he knows going into the game against Fransel, Germany, he needs to control that middle of the pitch. So it's what he does in the final. A lot of players who started tonight will feel, well we deserve the opportunity after winning the semi-final

to go into the final. But cred to say, Lee Carsley, he's not just picked names, he's gone off what he feels is the right blend of players. Yeah, I mean, he's got some selection dilemma, hasn't he, ahead of the final native? Do you think someone like Elliot Anderson, who in the closing stages of the game, really showed a maturity out there this evening.

Yeah, he looked awesome. And I think Lee Carsey himself has probably mentioned the fact that he was trying to share out the minutes as well in the earlier rounds of the competition. So maybe he's sort of settling in on what he would see as his first choice midfield as such. But in fairness, I've got to give him credit because I think the way that he's done things and some of the plans that he's had in play kind of go against what we thought he'd be doing. But he's managing this level of tournament football as well as we've seen anybody do. You know some of the changes like the flat stands field wasn't playing a minute's worth of football

and the last two games he's leading the line for England and it sort of works around him in a certain way. I've been so impressed by him and when they get ready for that final I'm sure he'll be either watching it live or watching back the replay of the next semi-final that's going to kick off in 45 minutes time. And getting a sense of who the right players are to go up against those two sides because for as good as they are they will be different in subtle ways. And I think Lee Carson is very good at seeing that those little small differences and picking the right sort of team that can go ahead and cause as many problems as they can because again

against Spain I was really really impressed and then today again when they took the lead I thought this game's done now and it took a great finish by Ohio you know trying to catch a keeper out fair play but England looked composed and ready to take anything that's coming towards them while still having a threat in the other direction and I think whoever he puts in there will continue in that same vein in the final. It's just interesting that one of the hardest things when you go into under-21s or the first team football is you're taking so many different styles of football

at different football clubs, and you're asking the team to come together and to play a different style. Now, England are almost setting up in a 4-4-2 in this system, and a lot of teams don't play that in the Premier League. They play 4-3-3, or they'll play 3-5-2 or 3-4-2 in this system and a lot of teams don't play that in the Premier League. They play 4-3-3 or they'll play 3-5-2 or 3-4-3. So that is very difficult in itself to gel the players and to find the solutions of that. So that is also something that he's done extremely well in the Leacars league.

Welcome to the Inside Track with me, Rick Edwards. This is the podcast that takes you inside Formula One and Red Bull Racing like never before. I'm Matt Magendie, and thanks to my exclusive access, I'll be getting up close and personal with Red Bull Racing this season. This week, I'll be answering your questions, and you can literally ask me anything. I think Matt will probably regret that. 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, I think it was practice. He crashed and he left one hand on the steering wheel. He'd end up breaking his wrist. Experience Formula One like never before by tuning into regret that. Dan Hulme, The buzz and the adrenaline that I got from it. Took me over like a fever. The dream was to always represent my country. Mary-Eve, desperate to impress. I can remember saying, I know I've got what it takes.

And Coram shall save from us. You have to be obsessed. Mary-Eve to the surface. You just look at some of the saves that she makes. Not everyone can do that. I really had no idea really how far I would go. England around down at the dead. It felt like my world was ending.

That was the moment. I was in pieces on the kitchen floor. You have to hit rock bottom to understand what you really want. Mary would put herself in front of anything and feel like she could stop it. I've done something that I've always dreamed of doing. I never knew if I would get the opportunity to do. Mary Earps, Queen of Stops. Watch on BBC iPlayer. This is the Football Daily Podcast.

With Ben Haynes. Let's actually get some more reaction from Bratislava now. John is with Lee Carsley. Yes, Lee Carsley is here next to me. You've got a determined look on your face. You look like a man who feels like the job's not done yet. No, definitely not. I think, you know, we all set out with one objective and that was to try and win it again. You know, it's obviously easier said than done but I wanted the lads to have the confidence and the belief that we could do that. We tried to leave all of the hope at St George's and come out here with belief and I think

the players have got a great spirit about them. I think they really are together, they're committed to what they're trying to do and I'm very lucky as a coach, along with the rest of the staff to work with these players. Taking everything into account, the conditions here tonight which were so hot, the opposition, tough opponents, how good a display do you think that was from your team? Yeah it was very good obviously people listening in or watching it on telly would probably can't feel the heat and how hot it was even in the shade but the players have been exposed to that during our sessions. We've always tried

to train at the hottest part of the day just to give them that exposure. They've spent a lot of time outdoors, obviously not as much yesterday but we've tried to prepare for this. We've always trained at the hottest part of the day in terms of our intensity so hopefully we'll get the benefit of that now. The way you conceded the goal must have had you well almost putting your hands on your head I would imagine. No it was a you know it was a poor goal from our regard we had we had almost control of the ball and then obviously the lads took it well. The way they responded after that you know you forget the age of this team, very young, had a setback but went again.

I thought they were like so, I thought they played with such a matureness You know, you forget the age of this team. Very young, had a setback, but went again. I thought they were like so. I thought they played with such matureness. They've got great team spirit. I mean, you can hear the music now in the background. And yeah, the most important thing now is, like we said after the Spain game, this can't be our highlight. We have to make sure that now we try and get the job done. They are finding that rhythm though, aren't they? You must feel that.

Yeah, we spoke about this at the start of the tournament. You know, we've worked with this team now for 25 days. It's not a lot. It's not even a full pre-season yet. They have to take a lot of credit, the players. We try and put them in positions, try and give them some basic direction on what we're looking from, and then they take on board where the space is and the way that they've played and you know I want them to be different I don't want the teams that we coach, the England teams, you know we have to play different, we have to be expansive, we have to be exciting, we have to be

creative and I think we're going in the right direction. And to come into this as defending champions trying to win it again with all of the various difficulties that you've had and I know that's been the case for many of the other teams as well but even so how proud are you that you've been able to take them all the way to the final? Yeah definitely I mean the players you know deserve all of the credit, any setback that we've had, the next player was ready to step up, obviously the club world cup players that we lost, we prepared for that, we were fully aware of what the situations were going to be so we were able to pivot and adjust quite quickly and we've tried to, we haven't mentioned who's not here, what we've tried to do is make sure that the players that are here feel special and feel wanted and I'm sure they do.

So one more step? One more step, which is the biggest step so but we've we've got that experience we've done it before so hopefully we can you know play with you know a lot of respect for our opponents but try and impose our game plan on them. Well done Lee, I can't believe you haven't taken off that hooded top. No, I'm trying to lose a bit of weight. That will have had the desired effect out there. Many congratulations and we will see you back here on Saturday. Lee Corsley who's taken England back to the final again. Thanks very much John, I cannot believe he is still wearing that hoodie Stephen. I don't understand how he's done it. I am dripping in sweat just that here.

But listen, what a fantastic job he's just done tonight, tactically, carrying that out after a sticky group stage, which was very difficult for his team, trying to knit them together. But all credit deserves to go to him because even before the game kicked off, all the substitutes that came out, he was shaking the hands, he was patting them on the back, he was making sure that they felt that they were part of it, ready to come onto the pitch. And then when they do come on and when they are part of it, he is, he's right behind them because he knows

how important the squad is, not just the 11 starters. So often you hear stories about who's the most important people in the team and they so often go for the superstars, but it's not, it's the team behind the team because they're the ones who get frustrated when they're not quite playing. And to keep them happy, to keep morale better in and around the group is hugely important.

Yeah, for me, I think I've got to say, I think he's the difference maker. I think they've got really good quality players in there, but tell me a time when England haven't done at this sort of tournament. But as you listen to him speak, he's never too up, he's never too down. He's making sure they realize, as he said there, you know, you leave the hope in

St. George's Park and you come here with the belief and the understanding in terms of how they're going to be doing it tactically, what to expect from the conditions like, you know, training the hottest part of the day. I'll be honest, I want nothing to do with that, but he's doing it for a reason. So he's trying to find that one percent wherever he can. And he knows those players well. And you can see that in the way that they play and I've got to say the style that they play in it reminds me of like a Premier League team because they're more than happy to be on the front foot but still very good at absorbing pressure but having a threat the other way. From what I've

seen in his last two games this is a really good side and I think whoever they would be playing in the final you know I really fancied them to honest. Steven, can you just give us a little insight into what he's like as a coach in stadium? When he's on the touch line, is he making a lot of noise? Is he quite gently making tweaks to things? What's he like as an in-game coach? Yeah, I'd say the latter, gently making tweaks to things. I think he's almost relaxed with the work he's done

on the training field, and he doesn't wanna just bombard the players. So often when you look at managers who are constantly screaming and shouting, the players never take their eye off the manager because they're almost feeling like, well, what now, what now? What's the next message?

Whereas he's very relaxed. Often you see him on his haunches, sort of squatting down. And he is just very relaxed in his attitude. And then as and when he feels like there's a moment where the Dutch got on top in the second half he just pulled a couple of players across to the touchline had a chat to them and then just let them get on with it and let them deal with it he's not pointing he's not screaming he's very relaxed and I think that's what you also got in the

pitch I think when you think of a manager who's very animated on the touchline Michael Arteta this season in the Premier League, it's almost like that spills onto the pitch as well. It's very emotional and the players get very caught up in that. He's very relaxed and I think his players are as well. I think it is worth just telling people what he's changed after that 2-1 defeat to Germany in the group stage. What was it that he tweaked that's made the difference? Well, personnel have upped the game. I think there's been an understanding of what's being asked for him tactically as well. It is a different system. It isn't your typical 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 what we see in the Premier League or a 3-5-2. It is a 4-4-2. He's chopped and

changed his line up trying to find the right personnel to fit in. He's found that balance now. But as he says, he's had to work with a team with new players. He's lost around about five or six players to the Club World Cup. Now he knew that was going to happen, but he hasn't had the opportunity before the Club World Cup to go and find players. One of the other things we also have to speak about, and he did speak about it briefly in his press conference yesterday, is he's also dealing with players leaving football clubs, and you think of Gerald Kwanza, who's had a lot of talk about him leaving the football club and joining by Leverkusen.

Harvey Elliott is another player who's had a lot of talk about him potentially leaving the football club, James McAtee. So there's players potentially on the cusp of leaving their clubs, and that's going on behind the scenes. And he said, we're trying to be a support to them. We're trying to help them as much as we can make that as comfortable as possible.

So there's a lot of spinning plates that are going on as well as trying to get the teams to perform at the highest level as well. Yeah, I've got to say, I know we've been very, very positive here, but I think it's right to be positive. And you mentioned this sort of managerial style. From watching the games at home, there's a microphone just by the touch line. And when sometimes when the ball's over on that side, you hear the stuff that he's saying, but the stuff that he's saying is like encouraging.

Say with Hutchinson at times, he says, take him on, take him on, take him on. Like if I was a winger, that's exactly what you'd love to hear from your manager. There's no doubt he wants you to do it. He's not saying like, make sure you keep it. It's like, take him on, be progressive, be positive. And then other times when say the team's

feeling a bit of pressure, you hear him say, move, move, keep the ball, keep the ball. And that is just, that's great to be honest, because I think sometimes managers that stand on sidelines and tell you what you shouldn't be doing and making sure they're always getting into you, saying that's bad, that's bad, that's bad. I think that can make you close up a little bit.

But I think we have a manager here for the 21s who's almost perfect for this age group, perfect for understanding the bits that you mentioned there, Stephen, about players moving clubs and so on and a sense of disappointment. But then being here, he's managing that so, so well and he's bringing the best out of these players. And as a consequence, I think he's been fantastic.

And hopefully he can just win one more game and lift that title again. Do you think he's been fantastic. And hopefully he can just win one more game and lift that title again. Do you think he's watching that game tonight, Germany and France, thinking, I'd rather have one of these than the other? Or do you think he's just taking it in and thinking, I'll prep for whatever? I think he's going to be prepping for whatever.

I think as a manager, I think he feels to me like he trusts his team wholeheartedly against absolutely anybody. And as a consequence, the plan might change like he trusts his team wholeheartedly against absolutely anybody and as a consequence the plan might change but the outcome is still going to be the same desired one. He knows his team's good enough to be able to play in different ways to win a game of football whilst also not losing their true sense of identity in terms of what they want to try and do. They want to be progressive, be on the front foot, be good attacking, be solid defensively. Whether you're playing against Germany or whether you're playing against France,

the match-ups might be different but the concepts are the same. I think he's going to watch that game, probably see some of the strengths of them, make sure that he notices those weaknesses and in the next days make sure that those players continue to believe that this is for them to win and they are deserving of being in that final and they've got the chance again to lift that trophy and what it would mean to do so. So I've got no doubts whatsoever and as he watches it you probably watch it hopefully with that hoodie off you know just yeah let's have a good time knowing these teams ready to go. Ben can I just give you a little bit

of something that's going on at the ground now so obviously the players and the families are all are all together mixing and Lee Carsley was in there a few moments ago as well I think his family are here as well so there is a very much a feel of like the family is a part of this. And just watching Jay Stansfield with his little daughter, I think it is, is running across the pitch. And it must be a sense of I think they're all for that. I think they realize that when you go into tournament football,

you cannot allow it to just be team, team, team. There's got to be a break from it as well. You cannot just see the same faces, the same people, the same four walls every day. There's got to be a family element to that as well. And it looks like they've gotten time with the family, which is hugely important as well. We have to let Naidum go.

Stephen, I'm going to come back to that very shortly, but Naidum, will you be sitting now and soaking up the next semi-final? Yeah, I will. If the members of my household allow me to do it, I will definitely be doing it on the big screen, but if not... We know who's the real boss over there. I'll be watching that game for sure.

Love your stuff. Thanks, Nathan Vanuier. Steven, I just want to go back to that point that you made there, because I do think there is something in this Lee Carsley role that he plays. It's not just coach. It's not just manager There's almost a father figure of him to play as well with these young men being away from home for so long Yeah, there has to be there has to be an understanding But there has to be an open door as well if you're not you're not feeling the greatest or you're not feeling comfortable and you're missing home or you're missing people or

It's becoming a little bit difficult for you. I do feel like there's a very easy sort of avenue to go knock on his door and have a chat with him. He seems very relaxed in the way that he approaches things. I think that's his approach to everything. So, no, hugely important and their skills that are not the easiest to obtain. Sometimes they come very natural to people, sometimes they're a little bit more difficult and you lean on other staff members

to be able to create that for you. But he seems very relaxed with his players. Alex Scott spoke about the relationship that he's got with the players and how everyone enjoys not only his coaching, but his company as well as a man. And he is a lovely, lovely guy as well. Let's just go back to the selection dilemma that he potentially will have come this weekend. We spoke so much about Tyler Morton and the importance of his role.

There was a lot of pressure on Elliot Anderson tonight. How do you feel he got on? I thought he was superb. I really do. I think when we talk about playing a different style of football, Elliot Anderson is one that is playing a different style of football. He is used to not dominating the ball at Nottingham Forest. He's used to sitting in a position and soaking up pressure. So there was elements of tonight where it actually suited him and almost played back into his Nottingham Forest team in the style of play. But he's such a powerful player, great aerial, both from attacking sense and defensive set pieces, but also just his energy off the ball as well,

the ground he covers. And he's such a physical player. So very impressed with him tonight. And probably one of the performances that he knew, he had to be at his best because of the performance of Tyler Morton the other night. And we can hear from Elliot Anderson now, he's with John in the tunnel. Yes here is England midfielder Elliot Anderson, well done Elliot. I don't know whether you

heard before the match inside the ground there was a Nottingham Forest fan being interviewed inside the ground who referred to you as the Geordie Maradona, did you hear that? I seen it actually, it came up on the screen, yeah, I was warming up. But you were more the Geordie Rodri, weren't you, in the closing stages? You could say. No, I'm just trying to manage the game out to be honest. I thought we controlled it really well. Obviously it was really tough in the heat but now we controlled the game and obviously took the lead and then conceded and then gained control again and in half he does what he does best and scored another goal.

It really was just a hard-fought semi-final, wasn't it? Yeah, we knew it was going to be that. Holland are a great team, so now we're prepared properly and happy we're through to the final. You've got a bit of rhythm going, haven't you, in the knockout matches? Yeah, definitely. through the final. Yes you've got a bit of rhythm going haven't you in the knockout matches? Yeah definitely I think that's what the manager was saying at the start of the tournament was the longer you'll be in this tournament the better it'll use a look and it's definitely happened. The group stage it wasn't quite clicking and now it's you can see everyone sort of doing what they do at the club so yeah

it's brilliant. We were talking there with Stephen Warnock on the commentary about how perhaps for you it's maybe a slightly different style of play to what you're used to with Forrest. Is that fair? Yeah, 100%. Yeah, definitely. I think it's just about trying to get used to it. Your own personal game?

Yeah, yeah. Getting on the ball in lower places really. And no, yeah, I really enjoy it. It brings out another side of your game, I really enjoy so yeah I'm happy. And a final to look forward to which is going to be difficult, whoever it is. Yeah the lads are buzzing, it's what we're set out to do come to the tournament so everyone's buzzing and changing. Is that the hottest conditions you've ever played in?

Yeah it probably is to be honest, a proper game yeah, I had pre-seasons and stuff but a proper game yeah it is. You don't get many days like that in Whitley Bay do you? Not at all. Well listen congratulations and good luck on Saturday. Thank you. Elliot Anderson. Are they favourites now Stephen? To be honest with you Ben I think it's a toss of a coin, I think depending on who gets through I think it'll be very, Ben, I think it's a toss of a coin. I think, depending on who gets through, I think it'll be very, very close. I think what is probably tipping it in England's favour is the momentum that they've got themselves

in the last few games and the confidence and belief that they can win this. And teams will be looking at them now going, that's a different team that we saw in the group stages. This is a team that's moved on. This is a team that's progressed, a team that's gelled and got better over time. So they'll be thinking, not quite sure we want to face them, having beaten Spain and also beaten the Netherlands now. Steven, there was a

moment in the second half on Five Sports Extra on commentary where John was speculating as to what beer the man in front of you might have in his sort of four pack of ice cold beers. He's down in the tunnel at the moment, so I'm going to let you go and join him and see if you can find an appropriate way to cool off, shall we say, in that Bratslava heat. Brilliant. Cheers, Ben. Love your stuff. Thanks so much, Stephen. Thanks very much. We'll wrap things up there. Thanks, everyone. That's it for this episode of the Football Daily. On the next one,

Katie Smith presents an ultimate women's Euros preview. Welcome to the Inside Track with me, Rick Edwards. This is the podcast that takes you inside Formula One and Red Bull Racing like never before. And I'm Matt Magendie, and thanks to my exclusive access, I'll be getting up close and personal with Red Bull Racing this season. And this week, I'll be answering your questions, and you can literally ask me anything. I think Matt will probably regret that.

2023 Dutch Grand Prix, I think it was practice, he crashed and he left one hand on the steering wheel, he'd end up breaking his wrist. Experience Formula One like never before by tuning into the inside track wherever you get your podcasts.