ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴇᴇᴍᴇᴅ ꜱᴏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ

PART SEVEN - CHAPTER FOUR; JOHN STONES

PART SEVEN – CHAPTER FOUR;

JOHN STONES

5th July – 8th July

A win in Rome leads the boys to feel elated as they head to Wembley to face Denmark on the 7th July in the Semi-Finals. The first goal coincided in the tournament by the team comes in the 30th minute, before a Denmark own goal in the 39th sends the match to extra time. Harry Kane has his penalty saved only to catch the rebound to send England into the finals of the Euros, with Sweet Caroline playing out around the stadium.

Declan Rice, Mason Mount and John Stones all start once again with Ben Chilwell not included in the team. In the 95th minute both Declan Rice and Mason Mount are subbed off for Jordan Henderson and Phil Foden.

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"You've got this, I love you" Alex said to him after placing a kiss to his lips before he was ushered into the locker room while she was sent towards her seat in the stands.

He replayed her words over and over again, not just that small moment but the words she had told him last night as they lay in bed, while he was having a momentarily lapse of confidence.

"You are incredible, you really have nothing to worry about, just go out there and play the way you have been playing" she told him as she placed light kisses against his lips, cheek, and jaw "I am so proud of you, you just need to keep believing in yourself now".

He had woken up this morning feeling more self-assured than he ever had done, her words once again resonated with him like always as he felt like he could go into this match with more confidence than he felt in the days leading up to it.

He looked towards his shirt hanging up in the locker room, his number and name on the back as he breathes in the moment.

Just one more match away from a final, just one.

He feels a pat on his back from Kyle and then Trips as they pass him, chattering away but he is too focused on his own thoughts to care.

He thinks about what it's taken for him to get here, the highs and lows that have led him to this moment. He reminds himself of the times where he was not included in the England team, fearing he would never put on an England shirt again, never able to experience the buzz and privilege of playing for his country again.

He thinks about the time and effort that it has taken not just for him but his whole family to allow him to achieve this.

He knows his parents sacrificed a lot to get him here, driving him halfway around the country, early mornings, and late nights and not to mention the expense but not once did they complain.

He thinks of Alex, how her whole life has been shaped by his choices in career, by where he is and what he's doing. And as usual she is always on his side, cheering him on, supporting him in whatever way she can.

He is most thankful for her, his Alexandra.

He reaches into his washbag, rummaging his hand through the contents until he can find it, the twine feeling smooth in places yet rough in others between his fingers as he pulls it out, placing it on his other open palm.

'I love you' the bracelet reads as he smiles down at it.

The ends now frayed from the years he spent wearing it and refusing to take it off no matter what, the small knot in the twine further up from where it did eventually wear away and break, yet Alex knotted it back together for him, the scuff marks on the letters showing its age.