BBC Radio 5 Live

Former England defender Viv Anderson says that Italy are very good on the counter attack but has been very impressed with how England's defence has performed.

Oh and he thinks it's coming home!

"England's defence has done very well because they have switched between a back four to a back three and conceded only one goal," Anderson said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The goalkeeper [Jordan Pickford] has played really well, being a former defender myself I've been very impressed how well they have done.

"The final is there to enjoyed, I always remember when we got to any final it was a time of being relaxed, enjoying the occasion and try and perform to the level that they have so far.

"Italy are still very defensive minded, if they get a goal then they are very difficult to breakdown, they've got some decent players and they are very good on the counter attack.

"But I think the momentum is with us and it will be coming home."

Leeds United have published a video with good luck messages for Kalvin Phillips from his family, friends and teammates.

One for the midfielder to cherish, no matter what happens tonight.

Three Lions (Football's Coming Home) get's plenty of air time when England do well at a major tournament and usually rockets up the charts.

It's quite catchy as well isn't it...I vowed not to utter a word of the song at the start of the tournament but found myself humming along to it doing a brew before.

We know plenty about England, but what about the Italians?

The Azzurri have adopted manager Roberto Mancini's new adventurous style of play, and since the former Manchester City boss took over in 2018 they have gone 33 matches unbeaten.

At the back, defensive rocks Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci are masters in the art of defending, ahead of goalkeeper and current free agent Gianluigi Donnarumma.

And in attack, Juventus' Federico Chiesa has emerged as a nation's favourite, while Lorenzo Insigne, standing at 5ft 3in, has proven his small stature does not affect his footballing abilities.

Click here to find out more on the Italians who stand in the way of England and European glory.

Rio Ferdinand
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

A bit more from Rio Ferdinand, who hails the England defence as "phenomenal" and believes Raheem Sterling is the Three Lions' player of the tournament.

"They have been absolutely phenomenal. That's the area that if you asked all the nation going into the tournament, 'what's going to be our weak spot?' it would have been the defence.

"But it's played out beautifully. Individually they've played well but the management and coaching behind that have made sure that the players in front of them have been doing their jobs.

"No matter what happens today he's [Raheem Sterling] the player of the tournament for England, 100%. Sometimes it's a bit sweeter when you've had trials and tribulations and a few setbacks on that journey to getting to the holy grail.

"I definitely felt that when I played. It's inspiring. When things like this are happening, it inspires a whole generation and one of the leading lights of it has been Raheem Sterling."

BBC Radio 5 Live

What about this for a Sunday, eh?

Chris: Lucky enough to have tickets for Centre Court and Wembley today - what a double. Hoping for a three-hour thriller at Wimbledon in the men's final before heading to the football to see Gareth Southgate hopefully lead us to victory. Come on England!

You've played an absolute blinder there, Chris. Well, as long as Matteo Berrettini doesn't take Novak Djokovic to five sets!

Image source, Getty Images

Eniola Aluko
Former England striker on BBC One

Former England striker Eni Aluko was on The Andrew Marr this morning talking about just how big the game is to England.

"Seeing Her Majesty the Queen's letter to the team, really encapsulated just how big this is.

"We've been waiting half a century in a major championship final and everyone including Her Majesty is behind the team.

"When I read it I thought wow, you feel the magnitude of the game.

"It's a 90 minute game but it feels so much bigger particularly because of the context that we've come out of, with Covid and people having a really difficult 18 months.

"Now we've all got something to get behind and prideful about including Her Majesty, it was amazing, I loved it."

As England reached their first men's major tournament final in 55 years, we asked you who should start for the Three Lions in Sunday's Euro 2020 final against Italy at Wembley?

And you've pretty much (bar injuries) picked the side I am expecting Gareth Southgate to name later.

Only slight tweak I had to my team was Jack Grealish being in. Otherwise spot on.

Image source, BBC Sport

The Duke of Cambridge sums up the mood of England fans up and down the country.

Rio Ferdinand
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

An uber-confident Rio Ferdinand has been on Sunday Breakfast, talking about sleep, the weight of expectation and pre-match nerves.

"I'm on top of the world, the most convinced man on the planet that we're going to win. I had a brilliant sleep last night, best sleep I've had in ages, that's a sign of where I'm at.

"I reckon a lot of the players would have had okay sleeps and probably woke up earlier than normal. That's what I used to do, I used to wake up and go for a walk at about six thirty or seven o'clock sometimes in the morning because I couldn't sleep. I used to go for a walk the night before to clear the head and then again in the morning, that's what I was like.

"They'll definitely be up and their routine may have changed a little bit.

"I haven't been in their shoes in terms of England, but I've played finals in my club career with Manchester United, so I know where their heads are at. All eyes are on you, expectations are high but also the expectations you put on yourself as an individual, they're huge."

I know what you mean Rio. When I go for my usual Sunday-morning run, I'm up at the crack of dawn getting that all-important bacon sandwich down first.

Talk about a partisan crowd. I feel for you Oliver. Hope there's some good Italian food to nibble on before the game.

Oliver: Spare a thought for me I will be watching the game with my Italian in-laws at home in Milano surrounded by Italian fans! Wife already said I’m having the sofa if we win, it will be worth it!

What do you reckon, more of this later this evening?

Hit the thumbs up if you think England will be celebrating tonight. Thumbs down if you fancy the Azzurri.

Can't believe the statisticians have forgotten Le Tournoi. Unbelievable.

A magical time!

Image source, Getty Images

Italy have never lost against England at a major tournament (W3 D1), winning 1-0 in the 1980 European Championship and 2-1 at both the 1990 and 2014 World Cups.

The sides also met at Euro 2012, with Italy winning on penalties. If you can't remember that game think Andrea Pirlo's Panenka spot kick. Poor old Joe Hart.

Probably nowt else worth a mention from that game.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Our top man, Phil McNulty has been there, done that and got the t-shirt when it comes to watching England.

According to Phil they offer hope, despair, optimism, pessimism, elation, misery. Quite often in the space of the same 90 minutes.

But five years on from the humiliating defeat by Iceland in the last 16 of Euro 2016 in France, The Three Lions have the chance to experience their biggest high since the 1966 World Cup win when they face Italy in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium.

Here he takes a look back at his time covering England at major tournaments.

Image source, Getty Images

Former England right-back Gary Neville has stressed it is "not a day to be nervous".

Discussing how the players would be feeling on Sunday morning compared to his own experiences with the national team, Neville told Sky Sports News: "If you think about 1996 and Gareth's abuse he received after missing that penalty, (David) Beckham in '98 and then my brother (Phil Neville) in 2000, it was a very pressurised situation with England.

"You weren't performing at a level and there was a different way in which they approached it from a media point as well.

"These lads haven't got that cynicism, they haven't got that pain and dismay embedded within themselves, so I suspect that now they must be feeling on top of the world this morning, excited.

"I know there are a lot of fans nervous up and down the country but this isn't a day to be nervous. I don't feel nervous at all. It's a moment and a day that this country's been waiting for such a long time."