The England squad was treated to a private concert by Ed Sheeran at their World Cup training camp, following their thrilling 3-2 victory over Mexico. But while the players were no doubt entertained by the Grammy-winning artist's performance of 'Castle on the Hill', fans on social media weren't quite so enamoured – with some joking that it was a form of "torture" or an "ordeal" for the team to endure.
One cheeky fan even quipped, "Did Norway pay for this gig?" in a light-hearted jab at England's upcoming quarter-final match against Norway. But despite the playful online jibes, Sheeran himself seemed delighted by his time with the squad – revealing that he'd been visiting the camp since 2021, a tradition started by captain Harry Kane.
"It's a nice little tradition," Sheeran said of his visits, "and I've always found the lads to be an easy-going bunch. They're never a tough crowd!" The connection between Sheeran and the England team is clear – and he even went on to predict an England-France showdown in the final, with the Three Lions emerging victorious.
And it seems they're not the only ones who've fallen under the spell of British rock classics. Oasis's 1995 anthem 'Wonderwall' has become an unofficial England team song – with players and fans alike belting it out after recent matches. The song's popularity has seen a 50% surge in streams on Spotify in the UK, and Liam Gallagher is ready to take centre stage at the final if England make it that far – with his brother Noel chipping in to say the song "belongs to the people".
With Norway standing between them and a semi-final spot, England's dramatic win against Mexico has set up an intriguing quarter-final clash on Saturday night. And who knows? Maybe Sheeran will be back to entertain the lads again – or maybe Liam Gallagher will take to the stage instead.