AceShowbiz - Ed Sheeran helped to boost the spirits of the England soccer stars on Wednesday (23Jun21) by staging a private performance for the team amid the Euro 2020 tournament.

The "Shape of You" hitmaker treated the squad to a private gig at St. George's Park in Staffordshire after they emerged victorious in their match against the Czech Republic on Tuesday, and subsequently topped the leaderboard for Group D, meaning they are safely through to the knockout stage.

According to midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Ed was brought in by team captain Harry Kane and stopped by to perform while the players enjoyed a barbecue feast.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live, "I think Harry Kane sorted it out for him (Sheeran) to come in. He did a little sing-song while we were eating food."

Ed even delivered a short rendition of Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning Seeds hit "Three Lions", which was the backing track to the 1996 Euros.

Kalvin added, "To be honest he started playing it, and then after 30 seconds he stopped."

Jordan Henderson, the England vice captain, also opened up about Ed's performance, praising the singer as "fantastic."

He said, "I have to say he was a top, top man. He was a fantastic guy. Straight away he was very warm and, as a performer, everyone knows how good he is. It was great to have him outside playing a few songs and speaking to him. It was a really good night. To have him round for a few hours was nice."

"It was a relaxed thing. It was very private, a bit of food, a barbecue. He jumped on the guitar and played a few songs. It was incredible. It was a bit surreal at times. He was sitting playing the guitar while we were eating food."

"I couldn't speak highly enough of him as a person. I thought he was brilliant and the lads really enjoyed it."

England will now play Germany on 29 June in the Round of 16.