England
| Nickname: | Three Lions |
| FIFA Ranking: | 6 |
| Team Colours: | White Shirt / Blue Shorts |
| Manager: | Roy Hodgson |
| Captain: | Steven Gerrard |
| Best Finish: | Semi-final; 1996 |
Fixtures
France vs England – Mon 11th June 17:00
Venue: Donbass Arena (Donetsk)
Sweden vs England – Fri 15th June 19:45
Venue: Olympic Stadium (Kiev)
England vs Ukraine – Tue 19th June 19:45
Venue: Donbass Arena (Donetsk)
England vs Italy – Sun 24th June 19:45
Venue: Olympic Stadium (Kiev)
Road to 2012
Although the Three Lions dropped out of the World Cup 2010 at a disappointing round-of-16 stage they were able to breeze through the Group G qualification period against Montenergro, Switzerland, Wales and Bulgaria. England then met British rivals Wales in March 2011 and won 2-0 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
England found more success deafeating Bulgaria 3-0 and Wales 1-0 and eventually booked their place in the Euros in October 2011 by playing a 2-2 draw with Montenegro in Podgorica. The Three Lions have a lot to face this summer with the controversial replacement of Capello with Hodgson, and matches against co-hosts Ukraine, Sweden and France.
Manager – Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson was appointed a four-year contract as the manager of England starting the Euro 2012 campaign. He ended his first match with a 1-0 win beating Norway in Oslo for the first time in 32 years. Although the announcemnet of his appointment outraged many England football fans, as it served as a reminder that the English national team are considered to be outsiders, peering up at football’s elite.
Captain – Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard is considered one of the greatest English footballers of all time. A versatile midfielder for current club Liverpool, he was appointed captain for the England Euro 2012 squad. Gerrard made his first international appearance in 2000 and represented England at the Euro 2000 and Euro 2004. He furthermore played in the 2006 World Cup and first captained his country at the 2010 World Cup in place of captain Rio Ferdinand who missed the tournament due to injury. England will be counting on Gerrard to unify and lead the team to success.
One to watch – Phil Jones
Jones has had a fantastic first season at Manchester United. The 20-year-old made a £15 million plus move from Blackburn Rovers last summer and has since been called up by Fabio Capello. His all-action displays see him marauding around the pitch and while his best position is yet to be decided, he’ll be a key player in either midfield or defence. His youthful enthusiasm will spread to the rest of the players in the squad and he’s sure to be a firm fixture in the England starting eleven for many years to come.
England News
