WITH around half a million British fans expected to flock to France for Euro 2016, excitement is kicking into high gear for Lions fans.

Among them will be Dalton 24-year-old, Luke Higgins, who is due to fly to Paris on Sunday.

Luke, who will be spending 11 days on the continent with his Dad, spoke to EMMA PRESTON about the experience that awaits him.


On being a lifelong football fan:

“I would say I've been following football properly for about 18 years now. I'm a Stoke City supporter and attended my first game on February 27, 1999 at home to Wrexham aged six. Sadly we lost 1-3 that day but at least I was given a clear picture of what I was getting myself into!

“Since then I've enjoyed some great times following Stoke. I've been fortunate enough to have a season ticket for what will be my eighth consecutive season for the 2016/17 campaign. I've been fortunate to do the majority of away games as well, even the occasional one abroad!

“It's an expensive hobby, but I love it and wouldn't have it any other way.”

On following England:

“I've never been to a European Championship or World Cup so this is going to be a fantastic experience for me. I've seen England play live on a few occasions but probably not as often as I'd like. The most recent England game I saw was the under-21s against USA at Deepdale, Preston.

“I'm hoping the FA will continue the trend of taking friendlies around the country like they did with the recent Turkey and Australia games. That should hopefully encourage more northern fans to get along to some games.”

On his trip to France:

“Myself and my Dad are leaving for Paris on Sunday 12th June, flying from Manchester. We'll be out there for approximately 11 days, travelling back early on the June 23.

“We've only managed to get tickets for 3 games currently: Republic of Ireland vs Sweden; Czech Republic vs Turkey; and Austria vs Iceland.

“Originally we applied for eight games but, as expected, tickets have been in very high demand and very hard to get hold of! England games would've been brilliant but personally I'm happy watching any football matches - I'm sure they'll still be great to watch.

“It's mainly a football-themed trip but I've never actually been to France so I'm looking forward to doing a bit of sightseeing as well. I think Chantilly Races on June 19 is also on our agenda!”

On his Euro 2016 predictions:

“I genuinely see no reason why England can't reach the semi-finals, which would be the furthest we have progressed in a major competition for 20 years.

“The group stage isn't as straight forward as it looks but I expect us to top the group. It's likely that we'll face either Ukraine or Croatia in the last 16, and I'd favour us to get through that tie.

“The quarter-finals will potentially match us with Italy or Portugal. Obviously we have plenty of history with these two nations but we'll be favourites and rightly so. Beyond that, who knows, but we are certainly capable of winning this tournament.

“The average age of this England squad is around 23 - Hodgson has been bold in his selections and deserves credit for that. Hopefully they can embrace the occasion and fulfil their potential when it matters.

“As for the overall tournament winner, it's hard to see past France with their squad depth and home advantage. The loss of Varane and Benzema is certainly a setback for them but they are still blessed with some superb players.

“The likely full backs, Sagna (33) and Evra (35), could be a vulnerable area that teams with pace will be looking to exploit. Time will tell!

On the idea that passion for the Lions may be waning:

“I think the passion is still there - people just need to see more success in major tournaments to start to believe again. We have failed to reach a semi-final of a major competition since Euro 96 and there is a feeling of inevitability every time a tournament comes, around that England will fall short again.

“The only people who can break that cycle of negativity are the management team and the players on the pitch. England are capable of winning Euro 2016, we just need to play without fear and believe in our own ability.

“Two out of the last six European Championships have been won by rank outsiders in Denmark and Greece. If they can defy the odds, then so can we.”