Tuesday, June 20, 2023
The Lowry Hotel, Salford
8:00 AM
The final breakfast with the England squad happened in the same restaurant where lineups had been announced and victories had been processed, and now the atmosphere shifted to departure mode with players eating quietly while mentally transitioning from international duty back to club business or personal time.
Southgate entered at eight-fifteen and stood near the front of the room while conversations stopped and attention turned toward him, and when the room was silent he spoke with the same professional tone he'd used throughout the camp.
"Right," he said. "Thank you all for a professional camp and two excellent results. Malta and North Macedonia both handled correctly. We're top of the group with maximum points."
He pulled out a small notepad and read from it. "Players being released today: Walter, Eze, Mount, Wilson, Grealish. Your transport to the station is at nine-thirty. Thank you for your contributions."
