England is being lashed within unseasonal rain. Wales has been hit by floods and Ireland crashed to a 3-1 defeat by Croatia. Hodgson says he feels the weight of history on him as Englands footballers prepare to take on France.

Sir Alf Ramsey really did have a weight to bear as he guided England to their only ever victory in a major tournament – he was playing at home. Far away in Donetsk the England team have slipped off the hype of supra expectation and need to simply play well and to progress. Easily said but the young men who wear the England shirt inevitably carry the expectation of a footballing nation on their shoulders and it’s a weight that can inhibit performance.

England have not won the opening match in the Euros in the last seven attempts. A win against France is almost a necessary result, something to ease off the strain of the qualifying group, to allow the players to relax into their game from here on.

Steven Gerrard looked drawn and tense sitting beside Hodgson for Sundays press conference. He has to lead out England to play France. There will moments in the game when fortune hangs on a split second chance, when all depends on a moments decision on a single strike of the football. There are no certainties, no guarantees and no safe options.

It is Steven Gerrard who will be leading the England players out in their quest for victory.It will be the players who face up to the responsibility of performing for their country, who will be winning the game, the young men from here that carry all that hope.

In England it is raining, but the country will go quiet to follow the fortunes of
the team in the Ukraine. Now is the time for the great story to begin.

In Donetsk at 5pm it starts – England vs France.

Come On England – winning the Euros in 2012.