England stars have kicked back by the pool after emphatically dismissing of Wales to book their spot in the next round of the World Cup.
The Three Lions were kept at arms’ length by Rob Page ’s troops but turned in a stunning second-half show to overcome their close rivals - a brace from Marcus Rashford and another strike from Phil Foden securing what in the end was a straight-forward victory.
The win sets up an intriguing last-16 tie against African champions Senegal on Sunday as Gareth Southgate attempts to go one further than England’s semi-final finish four years ago in Russia.
Players toasted their success against Wales by joining friends and family in the stands at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium. They then reportedly enjoyed a walk around Qatar before having dinner.
The squad have been given the day off on Wednesday to recover, with a relaxing session by the pool in the Al-Wakrah team hotel being the first port of call. Declan Rice, who turned in another impressive showing, shared an image of himself and Callum Wilson by the pool on Instagram with the caption: “Recovery settings”.
Meanwhile, defender Harry Maguire also put out a short video of his legs resting on a sun lounger next to the pool. The Manchester United defender’s recent renaissance continued against Wales with another eye-catching appearance.
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The squad kept their celebrations to a minimum after the win over Wales on Tuesday evening once they returned to camp. Southgate already revealed that alcohol was off the menu. Speaking after full-time, he said: “We have got loads of milkshake back at the hotel, everything is different, we are embracing it and we love our base camp.”
Their session in the pool is not the first time England players have enjoyed a swim following tournament victories. During their run to the World Cup semi-finals in Russia, the squad went viral with images of them playing with inflatable unicorns.
They returned during Euro 2020, with players such as Mason Mount and Rice all pictured getting involved in the aftermath of the Three Lions' 4-0 quarter-final victory over Ukraine.
Maguire revealed the colourful unicorns had returned ahead of the World Cup in Qatar. He shared an image on Instagram during England’s pre-tournament training camp of the unicorn with the caption: “Nice to meet you again.”
Southgate’s men will be back on the training pitch over the next few days at their Al-Wakrah base ahead of their clash with Senegal. They clash with the African side at the Al-Bayt Stadium on Sunday evening after Senegal managed to beat Ecuador 2-1 in a winner-takes-all tie.
Three Lions boss Southgate warned his side not to underestimate Senegal ahead of the two sides meeting at the weekend. “We know on the rankings we will be favourites - we’ve got to deal with that - but they’re a very dangerous team,” he said. “The first objective is achieved. To this point we’re really pleased. The big business starts now.”
