Conor Coady reveals Prince William consoled England’s heartbroken stars after Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy… as he reveals how Adama Traore is ALWAYS paying fines for being late at Wolves
- England’s shoot-out defeat to Italy in the Euros final left the squad devastated
- Conor Coady revealed that Prince William gave a speech in the dressing room
- The defender said the Duke of Cambridge embraced Saka, Rashford and Sancho
- Coady also gave an insight to his time at Liverpool and who gets fined at Wolves
Conor Coady has described the scene in England’s devastated Wembley dressing room after the Euro 2020 final, when Prince William visited to console the Three Lions.
The nation’s dreams were crushed back in July when Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka’s three consecutive missed penalties handed the European Championship to Italy in our own back yard.
Prince William was among the stunned England fans in the stands alongside his wife Kate Middleton and Prince George, and descended into the bowels of Wembley to lift Gareth Southgate’s dazed squad.
Prince William visited the England changing room after their defeat to Italy in the Euros final
Conor Coady remembers the devastating scenes as the Duke of Cambridge came in to support
‘I’m sat there thinking, “Oh my God, this is madness.” Then William spoke and the way he spoke was incredible,’ the defender told the Times.
‘It was about how much the country loves the team, what the team has done for people, and don’t ever leave here with your heads down.
‘Harry Kane got up and introduced him to all the boys and he went round and the way he embraced everybody, Rashy, Sanch and Saks in particular… it was incredible. A moment that will live with me for ever. It was a pinch-me moment.
‘When they left, you felt, not so much an energy but just, “it’s OK now to go and get changed — and let’s go see our families and our kids that we haven’t seen for five weeks.”‘
England were superb all the way up to the final before falling at the very final Wembley hurdle
William consoled Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho after their penalty misses
Coady never got onto the pitch at the summer tournament, receiving his first major tournament call-up at 28-years-old.
The defender rose through Liverpool’s academy before a journey back to the Premier League via Huddersfield Town and promotion back to the top-flight with Wolves.
He only managed a single Premiership minute in red but Coady took plenty away from his time at Anfield, picking-out Jamie Carragher as a ‘massive’ influence.
‘The way he and Steven Gerrard bounced off each other in the changing room, they were like two captains who both knew their roles and Carragher led by example,’ Coady said.
‘The way he looked after his body, but also he was also a great talker, as you now see on TV.
Coady worked with Premier League legends Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher at Liverpool
Adama Traore is willing to pay for his poor time-keeping, racking-up the most fines in training
‘Above all, his will to win was remarkable. I remember once he came into the gym when I was a youngster. Straight away he said, “come on, how many pull-ups can you do” and he was trying to beat me.’
The example set by those Premier League legends is one still followed by Coady today, and the centre-back revealed he has yet to be fined for dropping his standards at Wolves this year.
Ruben Neves is in charge of dishing-out the punishments for the likes of being late, leaving clothes lying around and parking in the wrong spot – with the Wolves stars spinning a wheel to decide the punishment.
‘The biggest offender? Adama Traore by a country mile,’ Coady said. ‘And you know what? I don’t think he’s bothered paying up, that’s the problem.
‘I always text him when we have a meeting, just to keep him on time, because he does pay a fortune. But I don’t care what he has to pay, as long as he plays like he does on a Saturday.’