England players stayed up until 6am after their incredible penalty shoot-out round of 16 victory over Colombia but this wasn't a big, boozy party or anything of the sort - the team were instructed to do so by manager Gareth Southgate.
By the time post-match celebrations and media commitments were fulfilled, the England squad didn't get out of the the Spartak Stadium until 2am, according to the Daily Mail. It was a late, late night but it didn't end there.
A detailed report from Matt Lawton says that once the Three Lions arrived back at their training base in Repino and had their more than deserved spread of food and drink, they were encouraged to stay up and relive their wonderful and unprecedented heroics.
With only a light session pencilled in for Wednesday the day after the game, the players and staff remained up and about past 6am - with each player sharing their own personal story of the evening as the rest of the group listened and applauded.
The report reads: "Manager Gareth Southgate did not want the moment to pass and, although he hopes there are more times like this with his squad, he wanted them all to recognise their achievements.
Advert
"Together they sat around sharing their personal recollections of the night, with each offering a different story that was greeted with cheers and applause by the group."
It was England's first knockout victory for 12 years and the occasion certainly needed to be marked. There's a freshness and a real sense of unity amongst this group of players, with Southgate deserving a whole lot of credit for being able to instill that.
As a result, the belief back home has grown and grown - World Cup fever has well and truly taken over. Bring on Sweden on Saturday in Samara.
Advert
IT'S COMING HOME!
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Colombia, Football, England, Gareth Southgate, World Cup
