'Thank you for the memories' - England's team behind the team

BBC News

2 days ago

For fans watching England's Euro 2025 journey, it has been a wild ride.Spare a thought for the Lionesses' loved ones out in Switzerland.They have been there every step of the way on the rollercoaster journey with Sarina Wiegman's side, following five matches over three weeks, cheering every goal, kicking every ball and watching every penalty from behind their hands.Before Sunday's final against Spain, we hear Swiss stories from some of England's nearest and dearest, who send their good luck messages before one last push in Basel.
'Every goal she scores, he's watching over her'
For England duo Ella Toone and Beth Mead, Euro 2025 has been particularly difficult.It is the first major tournament both have played since losing a parent, with Mead losing her mum, June, to ovarian cancer in January 2023, while Toone's dad, Nick, was diagnosed with prostate cancer and died in September 2024."We were talking about him only the other day as a family," Toone's boyfriend Joe Bunney told BBC Sport. "Nick would've loved this."The inspiration Nick gave us to support Ella in the way he did was great. Hopefully one more step and we can win the Euros for him. Every goal she scores, every game, he's watching over her."For Ella, it's really important the people she has around her. Beth Mead as well. They're going through a similar thing. It's nice for them to have each other and they are so strong to get through what they've been through in a football season and then go to the Euros."While Toone and Mead have been united by grief and bonded off the pitch, throughout Euro 2025 the Lionesses' family and friends have been bonding off it, particularly celebrating England's late goals."It was all a bit of a blur," Bunney said of celebrating Michelle Agyemang's 96th-minute quarter-final equaliser against Italy. "Michelle's family were in front of me. The scenes were crazy."I was sat on row seven and I definitely didn't finish there, I ended up on row three. I was talking to Michelle's family about how proud they must be. It takes us back to 2022 when Alessia [Russo] and Ella were making an impact on the games. It's massive for Michelle and her family are a lovely family and we get on really well."Joe's message to Ella: "You already know what I think about how inspirational you've been. I know your dad's watching down proud of you, we're all proud of you. Go and bring that trophy home."
'Our job is to give them that normality'
Euro 2025 is Lucy Bronze's seventh major tournament for England.She has played a starring role for the Lionesses in Switzerland with her solid defensive displays, as well as scoring in the 79th minute against Sweden to help force extra-time, before converting a brilliant penalty in the shootout."My goodness the things they have put us through this tournament," Bronze's brother Jorge told BBC Sport."People keep asking me if I am having a great time out here and I say 'no!' It's just trauma after trauma after trauma. It's been a brilliant time, exhausting, emotional, thrilling and everything in between."Among the Bronze family out in Switzerland are Jorge's two young children."I've got a five-year-old and a four-year-old that Lucy absolutely adores, she loves playing silly games with them."It was 1am [after the Italy game] and they were playing a bit of hide and seek with auntie Lucy in the ground after a pretty intense game of football."Jorge said under Wiegman, players' family and friends now play their part behind the scenes in England's success."We have noticed a real shift," Jorge said. "Certainly under Sarina, there has been an approach to have the family and friends engaged but know what our role is."We took Lucy to a play park and gave her a half-eaten cheese sandwich that my four-year-old didn't finish. Everyone is having a slightly different experience but every player needs their own downtime in their own way."Our job as a family is to just give them that bit of normality. Whether that's smashing her at table tennis or Mario Kart, to remind her I am still her older brother, or if it's just chatting things through. Whatever it is, that is what we are here to do for the players."Jorge's message to Lucy: "Lucy, you know what it's taken to get to this point. You know you are a serial and born winner. You are already the most decorated English footballer of all time. Go and make that a full stop at the end of that sentence on Sunday and bring it home."
'I'm not used to this as a fan'
Alessia Russo's brother Giorgio missed England's first two group games of Euro 2025 because he was on Love Island.He swapped Spain for Switzerland and flew out in time for the nervy quarter-final win over Sweden in Zurich."Me and her are best mates, we talk about everything outside of football," Giorgio said. "She was the first person I told about Love Island. We're really good friends and it helps her switch off from work."All Girgio has known at Euro 2025 is a rollercoaster. Missing the big wins over the Netherlands and Wales, the two games he has been to have seen a tense penalty shootout quarter-final win and a dramatic extra-time semi-final victory."It's been really hard. I'm not used to this as a fan," Giorgio said. "The group stages started shaky but really came back and when I got out here for the knockout it's been tough, but elation at the end."There is a different type of emotion when it's a family member, you really feel it from their point of view. For the penalty shootout [against Sweden] my mum, Ella's mum, Leah [Williamson]'s mum, they all couldn't watch. Leah's mum makes me laugh so much it's like she is in pain in the games."It's a tense environment, the girls can obviously feel it and when there is a goal, when we win the celebrations are absolutely crazy but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else I don't think."Giorgio's message to Alessia: "Keep doing what you are doing, you make us proud every single day and I love you."
'We tried to just keep it normal and keep it real'
Described by Giorgio as one half of the 'fun police' alongside Joe Bunney, Georgia Stanways brother John-Paul helps to organise gatherings with the players' friends and families.Even when arranging a low-key meal with family, it turns into a team outing and JP said word spread about a meal the day after England's semi-final win over Italy."We went for a Chinese meal the day after the Geneva game," he said. "A few of the team got wind of this meal so there was us, the Toones, the Walshs, Jill Scott joined us."We didn't really chat about much. It's just calmness. We talked about tickets to the final, a little bit of how the game was. Our job was to take her mind off it and bring some calmness and normality. We tried to just keep it normal and keep it real."JP's message to Georgia: "I want to say thank you for the memories you've given us. Back-to-back-to-back finals. Not so thankful for the heart attacks you've given us for the past few games."I'm so proud of what you and the rest of the team and the staff have achieved. Hopefully, we can continue to make these memories. Good luck."