England champions given a heroes’ welcome with some surprise guests getting involved

Fans gather during on the Mall during a Homecoming Victory Parade in London, yesterday

Thousands of fans came out to celebrate England’s back-to-back Women’s European Champions in London yesterday as coach Sarina Wiegman and her players were given a homecoming to remember.

Led by a marching band along the iconic Mall and later serenaded on stage by music stars Burna Boy and Heather Small, England’s players and staff partied in front of Buckingham Palace.

“I was crying all the way down The Mall. This is unbelievable. This is probably one of the best things we’ve ever been a part of,” said captain Leah Williamson, fighting back more tears.

England made history by becoming the country’s first national soccer team across the men’s and women’s game to win a tournament on foreign soil with the penalty shootout victory against world champion Spain in Basel on Sunday.

Arriving on two open-top buses with “Champions” emblazoned on them, the players waved to the fans who, wearing face paint and waving flags, had lined the streets to welcome their heroes.

“We didn’t really know what to expect coming into it today, but everyone was so excited on the bus and it was so nice to come back to England and celebrate with our fans,” said Alessia Russo, who scored England’s equalizing goal in the final, which ended 1-1 after extra time. “It’s just a bit surreal. It’s crazy to see this many people come out in the home of England, in London, heading up to Buckingham Palace, I’d never have dreamt of anything like it.”

The central band of the Royal Air Force got the atmosphere going — playing England soccer anthems “Three Lions” and “Sweet Caroline.”

There was more music on stage with a special surprise for Wiegman, who is a fan of Burna Boy. The Nigerian Afro-fusion star joined her to sing his hit song “For my Hand,” with Wiegman dancing along and joining in.

The Dutch coach completed a three-peat of Euros titles, having previously won with her native Netherlands in 2017 and England in 2022.

She has a remarkable record of reaching the final of her last five major tournaments as coach of the Netherlands and England.

“I hoped for a little less chaos,” she said of the her latest triumph, which featured comebacks from England in each of the knockout rounds through to the final. “They just showed up when it was really necessary.”

Heather Small was next on stage to sing “Proud” with England’s players joining in again before lifting the trophy in front of the thousands of fans who had gathered, with fireworks filling the sky.

For Williamson, triumph was another benchmark as she became the first England captain to lift two major trophies.

“Obviously we do it for us and our team, but we do it for the country and for young girls. This job never existed 30, 40 years ago and we are making history every single step,” she said. JAMES ROBSON, London, MDT/AP