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England v Iceland live blog: Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane start All the build-up as kick-off approaches in Nice with France lying in wait

All the latest news, pictures and match action as Roy Hodgson's men took to keep alive their Euro dreams

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  • ENGLAND take on Iceland tonight looking to secure a Euro 2016 quarter-final clash with host nation France.
  • Roy Hodgson's men are the overwhelming favourites to come through against the Nordic minnows playing their first ever international tournament.
  • Hodgson has made six changes from the side that started the goalless draw against Slovakia in the last group match.
  • Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Dele Alli, Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling all come in for the clash in Nice.
  • Iceland finished second in Group F and came through the stage unbeaten with two draws and victory over Austria.
  • ENGLAND: Hart, Walker, Cahill, Smalling, Rose, Dier, Alli, Rooney, Sturridge, Sterling, Kane.
  • ICELAND: Haldorsson, Saevarsson, Arnason, R. Sigurdsson, Skulason, Gudmundsson, Gunnarsson, G Sigurdsson, Bjarnason, Sigporsson, Bodvarsson.
  • Refresh your browser for all the live news, pictures and match action from Nice

 

Dig out your Bjork albums. We're all Icelandic now, right?

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9.54: This will surely go down as one of the darkest days in English football history. But what a momentous night for Iceland who now face France in the quarter finals on Sunday!

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Oh. My. Days. England are dumped out of Euro 2016 by little Iceland without creating a single chance. Utter humiliation for Roy's men

 

ALL OVER! AND SO IS ROY HODGSON'S CAREER! FULL TIME: ENGLAND 1 ICELAND 2

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9.50: CHANCE!  Vardy rises at the back post but as he's about to nod home, it's headed away from him. Tell you what, Andy Carroll would have buried that!

 

9.49: Rashford's at it again. Another promising run before he treads on the ball in the box. Man, this is painful

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9.48: Remember when we were all so relieved to have avoided Portugal? Yikes

 

9.46: Oh Marcus Rashford! The youngster takes on three defenders and beats them all before he's crowded out. At last, an England player prepared to have a run. Sadly it comes into the first of three added minutes

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9.44: Harry Kane lines up a free kick and spanks it straight out of play and into the crowd. This is so bad, you could not make it up.

 

9.43: Rashford does indeed come on for skipper Wayne Rooney. Four minutes for the boy wonder to save us.

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9.41: Joe Hart keeps England in it with a save from Gunnarsson. GET RASHFORD ON NOW! THESE 11 STRANGERS LOOK LIKE THEY'VE NEVER PLAYED FOOTBALL BEFORE!

 

9.40: Three England passes in succession. All three miscontrolled. It's like watching what happens when your dog plays FIFA

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9.39: FACT! If Paddy Kenny and Craig Bellamy ever had a son, it’d be the spit of Iceland’s keeper.

 

9.34: CHANCE! A lofted cross finds Harry Kane but he can only plant his header straight at the keeper. To a man, the England forwards have been utterly shocking tonight. We desperately need the ref to make a howler and throw us a lifeline. Can't see us scoring any other way

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9.31: 15 minutes left. Surely but surely, England are capable of creating ONE chance against Iceland during 90 minutes of association football.

 

9.30: England are misplacing passes all over the shop. This is like watching a baby giraffe trying to kick a door down.

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9.27: This is what Vardy feeds on! It's a lovely through ball from Alli but Sigurdsson slides in with a perfectly timed tackle to clear the danger. Where's Jon Moss when you need him?

 

9.24: Rooney shapes to thump a volley but treads on the ball. Yup, one of those nights.

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9.23: Harry Kane lines up a 20 yard free kick and shanks it hopelessly wide. Honestly, it was nearer the corner flag than the post. What do these players spend all week doing?

 

9.21: As an England fan it's tough to take but if Iceland win this match, it'll be their finest achievement since offering a prawn ring for £5.99.

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9.17: Half chance for Dele Alli but he shins his volley over the bar. England are snatching at everything. Surely we're capable of carving out one half decent chance. Against Iceland!

 

9.16 It's Vardy time! The Leicester hitman replaces Raheem Sterling with half an hour left. Gambler Roy rolls the dice again!

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9.12: JOE HART IN SAVE SHOCKER! Sigurdsson pulls off a close range bicycle kick that Hart reacts well to beat out. That could have been curtains.

 

9.09: Wilshere dinks a forward ball into the path of Alli, but it's a tad too strong and runs through to the keeper. The French team must be watching this and wetting themselves laughing

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9.07: Iceland look ominously well organised while England are already being reduced into long range pot shots and set pieces. This is unravelling fast

'You are feeling very sleepy...Harry Kane is great at corners and Jack Wilshere is a world-beater who will save your job'

 

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9.03: PEEEEP!! We go again and Jack Wilshere's first contribution is to let the ball run under his foot. Triffic.

 

9.01: Oh man. Roy Hodgson't mid-life crisis continues. He's made a half time sub - taking off our best player at this tournament, Eric Dier. Jack Wilshere is being stretchered onto the pitch.

 

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8.57:  Joe Hart needs to change his pre-match routine. Putting Head & Shoulders on his gloves instead of his scalp isn't doing him any favours

 

That looks suspiciously like Roy

 

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Well, it was all going so well for four minutes. But suddenly Roy has to give the half time team talk of his life if he wants to save his job. And his nation from utter shame  and embarrassment.

 

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HALF TIME: ENGLAND 1 ICELAND 2

 

8.45: Great run and pull back from Walker but Rooney shins his volley into the ground and over. Oh dear. It's going to be one of those nights, isn't it?

 

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8.44: England need to calm down. There’s still a long way to go yet they’re panicking and rushing their passing. Someone get me the dug-out on the phone!

 

8.40: Ooh terrific inswinging free kick from Kane finds Smalling at the back post but the United defender plonks his header wide. That was a good chance. Five minutes to half time. I know! Where has this half gone?

 

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8.37: Iceland are shooting on sight. A wise move given the form Joe Hart's in. I'm not being disrespectful but the England keeper has the look of a haunted toothbrush.

 

8.34: This is an absolute rollocking rodeo of a contest. To be fair, England, and Raheem Sterling in particular, have looked brilliant going forward. But an utter disaster at the back. While Iceland are absolutely on fire. They're playing like men possessed. By footballing Nordic Gods!

 

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8.30: So let me get this straight. Spain get knocked out by the mighty Italy. While England are getting a seeing to from a supermarket.

 

8.28: England are still trying to clear their heads after that shambles. Oh and they're so nearly level as Harry Kane smashes a dreamy volley that Halldorsson does brilliantly to tip over. This keeper's going to have an absolute worldie now, isn't he?

 

 

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8.24: Only England can do this. Take a fourth minute lead, boss the next ten minutes and find themselves 2-1 down. To Iceland. Only England.

 

8.20 GOOOAAALLLL!!!! ENGLAND 1 ICELAND 2. Madness. Utter madness. Sigthorsson wriggles free on the edge of the box and hits a shot that Joe Hart somehow lets squirm through him. England are rocking and that Icelandic commentator has just soiled himself!

 

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8.18: Glenn Hoddle's just claimed that "Iceland are still in that 80s mode". A bit rich coming from someone sporting that haircut

 

8.15: CLOSE! Ooh and it's a great hit from Dele Alli who fires a rasping 20 yard half volley that screams an inch over the top corner. England looking full of beans in these first 15 minutes. Come on boys, keep this up!

 

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8.13; ENGLAND IN THREATENING CORNER SHOCKER! It's true! Rooney slings over a peach of a corner that Smalling just can't convert with his noggin'.

 

8.12: At this rate, they’re already going to be scraping that mental Icelandic commentator off the ceiling

 

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8.10: How very England is the opening to this game? The perfect start immediately followed by a lapse in concentration. The only good news is Raheem Sterling looks bang up for this. He's getting on the ball and causing no end of mither

 

England were ahead for 34 seconds as Ragnar Sigurdsson batters home a long throw from close range. Yeah, because England weren't warned about a flick on from a low throw. Jeez!

AND SO DO ICELAND! GOOOAALLLLL!!! ENGLAND 1 ICELAND 1

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8.05: GOOAAALLLLL!! ENGLAND 1 ICELAND 0. Rooney makes no mistake from the spot firing low and emphatically into the corner. Four minutes gone and England have an early goal. I repeat, England have an early goal!

 

8.04: PENALTY TO ENGLAND!! STERLING CHARGES THROUGH ON GOAL AND IS BROUGHT DOWN BY THE KEEPER!!

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8.03: How we could do with an early goal. Sturridge unleashes a 20 yard pea shooter before Sterling busies himself before failing to get his shot away. Hmmm. Where have we heard that before?

 

8.00: PEEEEP!! England get us underway!...

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7.58: Fair play. He actually gave it some wellie this time. Come on boys, let's do this!!

 

7.55: The teams are out and we're having us some anthems. Come on Wazza, try and sing more than every fourth word

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7.51: Speaking about why he's selected Raheem Sterling tonight, Roy Hodgson has just said "It's because we need width. Iceland are very compact in the middle and we need width to attack them." Shame he left Andros Townsend at home, then.

 

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7.49: Can everyone stop banging on about this game going to penalties. IT'S ICELAND WE'RE PLAYING! I'm confidently predicting a 4-0 win. I mean it.

 

7.47: ITV's Glenn Hoddle has just come out with another belter: "If England did win a penalty shoot out, it would go a long way to improving our record with penalties." Remind me how much they're paying him for this startling insight

 

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Genius

 

7.43: Brace yourselves for the banner of the tournament so far....

 

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FACT-ISH! The patron saint of Iceland is Kerry Katona.

 

FACT! Iceland keeper Hannes Halldorsson directed the video for Iceland’s 2012 Eurovision Song Contest entry.

 

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7.29: So what do we think about that England line-up? To be honest, I'm worried. I like Lallana. He's not a goalscorer but he creates chances with his clever movement and trickery. Whereas Raheem Sterling runs like Velma from Scooby Doo

 

Those ‘Pedestrian Crossing’ signs in Nice are incredibly lifelike

 

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7.20: Let’s make no bones about this, Iceland will be no pushovers. Onmeheadson and Goonmyson look particularly useful.

 

BREAKING NEWS! We've found an Icelandic female fan who isn't Bjork

 

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7.09: ITV's Glenn Hoddle has already referred to "the Icelantics" three times. Whoever they are

 

7.05: Mind you, no disrespect, but if we can't beat Iceland, we shouldn't even be at the Euros. But honestly, if you had a game to save your job, would you really stake everything on Raheem Sterling?

 

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7.03: So is this the day England leave Europe for the second time in four days? Surely, it couldn't happen could it? Don't know about you but I'm a bag of nerves

 

6.55: Iceland players have been having a quick stroll around the stadium in Nice just ahead of kick-off. Former Chelsea and Barcelona man Eidur Gudjohsen leading his team-mates.

Iceland players take a stroll around the Stade de NiceCredit: PA:Press Association
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6.50: Iceland will remain unchanged for the third successive game.

ICELAND: Haldorsson, Saevarsson, Arnason, R. Sigurdsson, Skulason, Gudmundsson, Gunnarsson, G Sigurdsson, Bjarnason, Sigporsson, Bodvarsson.

6.42: Here's what SunSport reporter Charlie Wyett had to say on Raheem Sterling in Monday's paper...

6.33: As expected Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane come back into the team.

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Here it is in full.... ENGLAND: Hart, Walker, Cahill, Smalling, Rose, Dier, Alli, Rooney, Sturridge, Sterling, Kane.

6.30: Here comes some England team news....

 

6.05: This graphic shows that the midfield battle between Eric Dier and Gylfi Sigurdsson will certainly be something to keep an eye on in Nice.

Courtesy: //www.andrews-sykes.com/air-conditioning/
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5.48: Plenty of supporters have been taking in the first half between Italy and Spain, but others are just happy mixing outside on the streets

 

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5.24: We've seen some pre-match rituals in our time, but we have to admit here at Sun HQ we're a little mystified about the significance of burning a broom.

 

5.21: It won't be long before England arrive at the stadium in Nice, and when they do they'll be walking through this door

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5.10: Icelandic fans love English football, and they are happily mixing it with the England supporters in the centre of Nice

 

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5.05: We've not even reached the end of June, but pre-season training has resumed for some clubs. Here''s Fulham today!!

 

 

5.00: Three hours until kick-off - we hope these fans have applied plenty of sun block....

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4.56: It will be interesting to see what footwear Dele is sporting tonight. Either way, they will be bright!

 

 

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4.52: By all accounts Raheem Sterling has been buzzing in training this week, showing no signs of the poor form that he showed in the opening two matches. He is likely to start, so hopefully he carries his training ground form onto the pitch.

 

4.49: There seems to be a special visitor in town for the game....

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4.45: Despite what you may have heard elsewhere, SunSport understands there is absolutely no issue between Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy. And as if to confirm the point, there are some great pics here of Rooney's son Kai wearing a Vardy shirt today.

 

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4.37: The England supporters are already in full voice, and it's something of a party atmosphere in Nice with less than four hours to go.

4.32: It wasn't just the fans making the most of the weather and the seafront - the England players also went walkabout in an early afternoon stroll

England squad spotted in Nice, France
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England squad spotted in Nice, France

4.27: The fans took the opportunity to indulge in a sport of sunbathing in Nice in the build-up to kick-off

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