England fan, 8, left Ian Wright in stitches with response to Alex Scott question
England supporters are buzzing with anticipation for Sunday's Euro 2025 final against Spain, hoping to replicate the joy of three years ago. BBC pundits Ian Wright and Alex Scott couldn't contain their laughter when young fan Tess stole the show during the previous tournament's closing stages.
Tess was just eight years old when she became a viral hit with her jubilant dancing in the stands. The performance even earned her a personal shout-out and a present from her hero, Alessia Russo.
Tess, who is now 11 and playing in the Doncaster Belles academy, was caught on camera grooving to 'Sweet Caroline' as the Lionesses demolished Sweden 4-0 at Bramall Lane during Euro 2022. Her infectious energy landed her on BBC Breakfast and live during the coverage of the semi-final between Germany and France.
The enthusiastic supporter scored tickets to the final and even earned a pass into the BBC broadcast studio. There, she was joined by Wright, Scott, Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall and host Gabby Logan, while commentator Jonathan Pearce was left in tears over the incident.
Logan had a special treat for Tess as she asked her: "I know Russo's a big fan of yours, well you're a big fan of hers, she probably is a big fan of yours. Do you still think she could be the difference today?"
Russo was still a Manchester United player but has since made the jump to Arsenal, where she won the Champions League this season. And Tess was full of confidence as she responded: "Yeah. I feel like she could do a lot of things to help our team."
Logan went on: "Yeah she's been doing brilliantly, hasn't she? Actually, speaking of her, I've got a little message for you. Just have a little look over there will you."
The broadcast then switched to a pre-recorded message from Russo, aimed at devoted fan Tess. The England striker said: "Hi, Tess, it's Alessia here. Just wanted to say a massive thank you for all your support this summer.
"We've loved hearing you on the TV and on Twitter. So much so I'd like to give you this shirt just to say thank you. I hope you love it, and we hope to see you soon."
Tess was stunned as Logan handed her a jersey featuring Russo's name and number. England icon Scott then questioned the passionate supporter about whether she'd be displaying her dance moves once more for England.
"I'm a huge fan and I'm a huge fan of your dancing as well," said Scott to their in-studio guest. "Are we going to see more of that today?"
Tess replied with gusto as she said: "Yes, definitely!" Her response left both Wright and Scott in fits of laughter. Before the game, Tess radiated optimism as she a: "I'ddedm feeling very positive, and I feel like we can win this match."
When pressed for a forecast, she predicted Sarina Wiegman's side would triumph: "Well, I think 3-2, but at the same time I just hope we win it."
The final score may not have been spot on, but Tess got her wish as England triumphed over Germany 2-1 in extra time. Chloe Kelly's decisive goal in the 110th minute clinched the first major title for England's women, and they're now setting their sights on retaining the title in Switzerland.
Kelly was instrumental in keeping England's title dreams alive, netting another crucial extra-time goal to secure a 2-1 victory over Italy in the semi-finals. However, they'll be counting on the support of their fans once more if they're to overcome the current world champions, Spain, this Sunday.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
England's new ‘bad boy' persona against India leaves us with one question
It is a confusing time to be an England player. The year started with head coach Brendon McCullum speaking about the need for his players to show more 'humility'. Then, before the Lord's Test, McCullum instructed his players that they had been guilty of being too nice. And then it emerged that while balancing McCullum's desires for England to be humbly unpleasant, they had also hired Gilbert Enoka, the mental performance coach credited with the All Blacks famous 'no d***heads' policy. So, in conclusion, don't be a d***head, but don't be nice, and do be humble when sledging your opponent. Cut to the final throes of day five at Old Trafford and as Harry Brook was caught on the stump mic imploring Washington Sundar to, 'f**king hell Washy, get on with it', and then mock extending his hand to offer a draw when Ravindra Jadeja reached his century, the whole thing irked, but tracked. Is the new fiery England one just for now, or is it here to stay? 'No regrets,' Ben Stokes summarised before the fifth and final Test, even after he and England had had a few days to cool off. 'I think it's one of those where if you've been in the field for 250 overs, you'd have a bit more understanding towards both sides. 'We're over it. And I think India are over it too.' First things first. Hypocrisy is a human right. God forbid anyone checked for consistency in your every move. England are performing in a high-pressure environment at the culmination of a three-year project which will define legacies for many. Slip-ups are inevitable. And while England have got rougher around the edges in personality, they have become more refined in their cricket. Their innings at Lord's was the second slowest of the Bazball era. Which, rather than a contradiction of their previous lunacy, was an acknowledgement of the stakes going up. Bazball was a creation of Ben Stokes to unlock the potential of a failing batting unit. In Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and, at that point, Jonny Bairstow, they had a talented, but timid batting line-up fearful of failure. The point was to push the boat out, prove to them what's possible, and then rein it back in. Ben Stokes' batting itself is the perfect example. At the start, he was a maniac. In matches, he charged at seamers at every opportunity and in training he would look to hit as many boundaries as possible. The purpose was to prove to his troops that nothing was too extreme. Cut to a week ago, and Stokes' century came off a measured 164 balls. But the Old Trafford fallout was unpleasant. England have prided themselves on being the entertainers and playing cricket with a smile on their face, but instead they finished the Test mocking a bloke who had outplayed them for the day. At one stage earlier in the match, Brook removed his chewing gum and lobbed it at the spidercam that whizzes above the ground. It was all just a bit weird. Your mate who doesn't smoke pulling out a cigarette at the pub. This isn't you. What are you doing? The question is whether we're likely to see more, or less, of such behaviour as we head into the Ashes. The spark for this series came when Crawley and Duckett dragged out a single over at the end of the day three at Lord's across seven minutes, with the resulting to-and-fro raucous theatre. All 11 Indians piling into England, and in return, England, when it was their turn to field, decided to give it back. 'I've had a lot of compliments," Brook said afterwards. "Everybody said it was awesome to watch and it looked like there was 11 versus two when we were fielding. It was good fun, I have to admit.' That trajectory continued to Old Trafford in a series that has flipped between the vitriolic and the collegiate. Barbs have been thrown in either direction. But friendships are present between the two sides. Joe Root and Yashisav Jaiswal are close from their time at Rajasthan Royals, where Jaiswal was known as 'Joe-swal' given how much he stuck to the England legend's side. Furthermore, when England won at Lord's, the condolences extended at the close to the pantomime villain of the series, Mohammed Siraj, were genuine. England raising the temperature on the field has been a deliberate ploy; whether they feel it's one that suits them or not will decide whether it continues. On day two at The Oval, Ben Duckett's muted reaction to Akash Deep bizarrely putting his arm round his shoulder after dismissing him suggested a taming of emotions, but Root's fiery, and out of character, burst back at Prasidh Krishna in response to a sledge suggested otherwise. For the most part, fans didn't like the carry on at Old Trafford. It was chest puffed out behaviour when the contest was dead. But when it was Crawley vs India at Lord's and the contest was live - it was loved. Like everything in life, it was all about timing. The reaction has been an insight into the media pressures that await. If the telling off in the English press has been a disappointed slap on the wrist, the reaction in Australia has been giddy. Cross-paper coverage of England confirming their place as the bad boys of world cricket. They don't like us; and we don't like them. Tempers, even three months ahead of time, are fraying. 'When you're playing Test cricket,' said Brydon Carse earlier this series, on the topic of sledging, 'with the crowd and the pressure and the emotion, and how much everyone wants to win the game, I think it's great. 'There's always obviously a line, and you don't want to cross that line. But when you're out on that field, and there's 10 other blokes all fighting your corner, it's pretty cool.' Over the last three years England have been fun, they have been different, and now they're dabbling with being nasty. And that could be nice.
Daily Record
28 minutes ago
- Daily Record
We're watching a Brendan Rodgers Celtic rerun minus 'terminado' and board would be dumb to ignore the danger
Michael Gannon has seen Rodgers in this movie before but insists the ending isn't already written as boss sets sequel conditions There was a famous line from Dumb and Dumber that came to mind after Brendan Rodgers lobbed his grenade into the Celtic boardroom on Friday. It was when Jim Carrey's Lloyd Christmas character was asking the object of his desire how his prospects looked. She said: 'Not good. About one in a million.' The bold Lloyd shot back from under his dodgy fringe: 'So you're saying there's a chance? Yes!' Right now it seems like there's even less than a one in a million chance of Rodgers ' relationship lasting beyond the end of the season. But, maybe it's dumb of fans to think it, but his explosive comments the other day did actually leave the door open – even if just a tad. This might be half full – or half wit – way to see it but this is the first time Rodgers has even hinted that he might even be open to remaining at the club beyond his three years. It has been kind of assumed he'd feel he'd had enough by that stage, having been in charge for almost six years over two spells and all the nonsense that goes along with it. Sure, there were warnings for the board, maybe even an ultimatum over what needs to happen in the next few weeks. But there was also a hint of a road map. It wasn't just back me or I'm off. It was also back me and I might actually stay. Look, it was probably a shrewd move applying the thumb screws a tad to get the suits to get shift on and get deals done. It was also advice on what they need to do to keep hold of the best possible manager they could hope for. Rodgers doesn't say anything lightly. Every word is there for a reason. This is a guy who studied neurolinguistic programming – a psychological approach where language is used to steer folk in a certain direction to ensure desired outcomes. He's a master at it. Sometimes it can be cryptic and open to interpretation. Other times – like Friday – it's crystal clear. There's no doubt this press conference was a bit like Oasis playing one of their greatest hits. We've been here before with Rodgers. Back in August 2018, he was tearing his hair out over missing out on John McGinn while his team were toiling in the Champions League qualifier with AEK Athens. The famous 'Terminado' presser. Those of us in the room that day knew the Irishman had basically hit the button on the countdown clock to his exit that day. When asked about the club not matching his ambition, he said: 'My job is done then. Terminado. Gone. 'That's the challenge. You have to test yourself to the limit. You have to be courageous as a club. 'It's a joy to work here. I love my life here and enjoy being the manager here. 'But it's no good if I just sit back and get comfortable. Being comfortable is the enemy of progress. 'We don't want to stand still. How do we improve? We improve in Europe and in order to do that, it's simple, is quality players. 'The minute I start thinking otherwise and get comfortable, then progress stops. In football you can't afford to do that. 'It's too late once the rot sets in. It's too late. Deep down I am a supporter but I am also a professional manager. I also look for the help that is needed to take the team to the next level if that is what the demand is. I will always push for that.' Sound familiar? Friday was a rerun minus the terminado line. Except this time is different. The Celtic board called his bluff back then and he jumped at the first chance to get back to the EPL. This time he'll see out the season and you suspect he might fancy a crack at the Saudi league having seen last week against Al Ahli a club that will happily stump up £40m for a full back and not blank at £50m for a striker. No one could blame him after having the rug pulled out from him at Leicester City after stunning success, and he's probably sick of the scraping again at Celtic. Yet there is this feeling he does love being Celtic manager. He relishes being king in this country, building a legacy at the club and trying to defy the odds in Europe. Celtic have money in the bank but they are in danger of losing their greatest asset. But he's told them there is a chance – even if it's one in a million – and the board would be beyond dumb and dumber to ignore it.
Scottish Sun
28 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Huge comedian cancels festival comedy gig hours before he's due onstage – and is replaced by even BIGGER name
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TOP comedy star has pulled out of a festival appearance at Kendal Calling in a last-minute switch-up. Jason Manford was scheduled to play a stand-up gig at the popular festival on Sunday but with 72 hours to go, he revealed he had to cancel his planned appearance. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Jason Manford has pulled out of a Kendal Calling appearance Credit: BBC 4 John Bishop will be covering for the star Credit: Instagram/@jasonmanford 4 Jason has been in hospital after facing emergency surgery Credit: Instagram / Jason Manford However, in a major boost for the festival, they managed to secure a much bigger name to cover for Jason at the eleventh hour. Confirming who would be covering him on Instagram, Jason revealed that Brit star John Bishop would be the man covering the job. Penning an announcement on Instagram, Jason said: "John Bishop to the rescue or my slot at @kendalcalling on Sunday afternoon on the main stage! "Might not be beating out Assembly Bangers in so grateful for yet another dear friend rallying round helping me out in an hour of need." It was accompanied by a video clip in which John said: "Some of [Jason's] shows have been cancelled but one that can't be cancelled is Kendal Calling. "He's asked me if I'm free and I am so I'm gonna step up and fill Jason's boots at Kendal Calling." An insider added to The Sun of the festival shake-up: 'Everyone is so grateful to John for stepping in - festival organisers and staff are excited to see his set." Jason has been forced to cancel a string of his performances after undergoing an operation. Just days ago, the 44-year-old cancelled another gig just HOURS before he was due to entertain crowds. He was set to perform as part of his A Manford All Seasons tour in Hertfordshire on Wednesday. Jason Manford left furious after being forced to share hotel room Organisers confirmed that those who purchased tickets would be able to attend an upcoming show in October. It was later revealed that Jason had been admitted to hospital owing to ill health. Taking to Instagram, Jason revealed he had been dealing with Appendicitis. According to the NHS, Appendicitis is " swelling and infection in your appendix (part of your bowel)" - and causes pain in the lower right side of the abdomen. Jason captioned his post: "Appendix surgery all went well, now in recovery with my Vimto, they serve it in all Manchester hospitals. "Bit of a scary & extremely painful 24 hours but thankful to our NHS & my incredible nurse mum who's a godsend in a health crisis! "My advice would be to not get Appendicitis whilst driving at 70mph on the motorway! "Seriously though, I'm gutted that I've had to move the dates this weekend, and I'm sorry for the late notice to so many people in St Albans, Oxford, Lincoln, Skegness & at Kendall Calling." He added: "I thought I could get by on antibiotics and surgery at a later date so I could still do the shows, but was advised not to. "Also means I can't fly out to Portugal on Monday to join my family on holiday! Ah well, such is life."
