England should listen to Rihanna or Kanye West in the changing rooms before their opening World Cup fixture against Tunisia tonight.
Captain Harry Kane and the rest of the 23-man squad are currently juggling sky-high expectations following an abysmal turnout in their last two major tournaments.
But scientists have revealed listening to the two hip-hop artists pre-match could give them the edge over their Group G opponents in Russia this summer.
They found the right music can supercharge team spirit among elite players, helping heighten bonding and strengthen feelings of togetherness.
Pundits have Gareth Southgate’s team down as the favourites ahead of the fixture in Volgograd, as England look to start their campaign off on the right foot.
Captain Harry Kane and the rest of the 23-man squad are currently juggling sky-high expectations following an abysmal turnout in their last two major tournaments (the England team arrive in Volgograd ahead of tonight’s match against Tunisia)
Brunel University researchers tracked 34 academy players from an unnamed Premier League team over the course of a season.
They found listening to upbeat tunes the players already knew before a game gave them the most positive feelings before a match.
Pre-match preperation without music can put players on the back foot by making them feel under-prepared – regardless of how much they’ve trained.
And the game-changing positive emotions from the right pre-match sounds last long after the players walk out of the tunnel.
‘Pour It Up’ by Rihanna and ‘Blood On The Leaves’ by Kanye West were rated as two of the favourite tunes by the unidentified players.
The other two songs named by the players, all aged between 16 and 23, were ‘Post To Be’ by Omarion and ‘The Catch Up’ by Drake.
Dr Costas Karageorghis, who led the research, published the findings in the journal Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology.
Marcelo Bigliassi, a pscyho-physiologist involved in the study, explained how the results serve as sound advice for managers.
‘Blood On The Leaves’ by Kanye West was rated as one of the favourite tunes to help players feel more together as a team
‘Pour It Up’ by Rihanna was also named as one of the best songs to listen to before a match, according to Brunel University researchers
He said: ‘Our study illustrated how music plays a pivotal role in enhancing group cohesion in elite football.
‘Managers could use pre-match music to boost feelings of unity, increase group cohesion and create a positive team atmosphere.’
The same positive effects of musical prep might stretch to other team sports such as basketball, rugby and hockey, the researchers claimed.
Mr Bigliassi said: ‘I believe that a similar cluster of psychological responses would be identified for players in other team sports.’
England, who were knocked out in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup, open this campaign against Tunisia tonight at the Volgograd Arena.
A challenging second fixture against Panama awaits them on Sunday, June 24 in Nizhny Novgorod.
Their third and final group match is against fellow European heavyweight Belgium, on Thursday, June 28 in Kaliningrad.
If they make it through, England will play either Poland, Senegal, Colombia or Japan from Group H in either Rostov-on-Don or Moscow on July 2 or 3.
Should the Three Lions unexpectedly make it through to the final, it will be held in the capital Moscow, on Sunday, July 15.