Date: 21st June 2016 at 10:00am
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The 2016 European Championships are now into the final group fixtures and it has been addictive television viewing ever since France’s opening 2-1 victory over Romania in Paris on June 10.

But with home nation trio; England, Wales and Northern Ireland all recording wins in their respective groups, plus neighbours the Republic of Ireland in action this summer too, Shoot decided to get some tournament tips and predictions from famous musicians.

Today’s feature is by Hayden from Sundara Karma, who released their debut album ‘Wake Up’ on April 22, and they had high praise for Tottenham and Three Lions star Dele Alli…

sunkara

1. How far do you think England can go at Euro 2016?

“I think England can do well. It might be wishful thinking but I’d like to say they can get to the semi or the quarter-finals. The quality is definitely there in the squad, but I guess we’ll just have to see if old Roy can do a decent job with the side.”

2. Which English player are you most excited to see at this summer’s tournament?

“I hate to admit it coming from an Arsenal fan, but I’m going to be keeping my eye on Dele Alli, as I have done throughout the Premier League season. He’s a fantastic player with so much potential, I really think he can thrive in France at the Euros.”

3. How much of an impact do you think the likes of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Dele Alli can have for the Three Lions given their impressive Premier League campaigns?

“I think those three players are one of the key reasons for everyone’s high hopes for this competition. We need to be playing these guys because they’re young, maybe not so much Vardy, but I really think that because of their Premier League seasons, they’re going to have a massive impact in the competition.”

4. Should Wayne Rooney start for England?

“No, I don’t think so. In the squad we’ve got so many options to play someone where Rooney would play, whether it’s up front or sitting behind. I don’t know whether there is a sentimental reason he should be playing, but there are players in the squad who can fulfil that position who have had a much better league season than Rooney.”

2 June 2016 - Friendly International - England v Portugal - Wayne Rooney of England - Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

Hayden believes that Wayne Rooney shouldn’t be a starter for England. Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

5. Which player, who missed out on the 23-man squad, would you like to have been included in England’s Euro 2016 squad this summer?

“I think Theo Walcott deserves it. He may not have had a lot of game time this season, but he brings a lot of pace to the game which is what I think we need going to France. I think he would be useful in the squad because he’s quite diverse with where he can play.”

6. Do any of the other home nations [Wales, Rep of Ireland, Northern Ireland] have a hope of progressing to the latter stages?

“Perhaps, I’m not sure though, if i was to say one, maybe Wales have a better shot than the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland because they’ve got some key players. I guess we will have to wait and see.”

7. Who do you think will win the Euros?

“My money is on Belgium. So many players in the Belgian side have had a sensational season. Like De Bruyne has been crucial for City and undoubtedly Hazard and Benteke will score goals. I just like the way they play football. Having said that though, there are so many teams who can win in it as well as the obvious choices like Germany and Spain.”

8. Who are you expecting to be the player of the tournament?

“The player of the tournament is probably going to be Ronaldo. He’s probably the best and most qualified player going, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic will perform well in the competition. But people like James Milner seem on great form for the competition, and from England’s point of view he’ll be a crucial asset to the side. But maybe not player of the summer!”

9. Which player do you think could emerge as a young star?

“Well, we’ve seen Marcus Rashford progress so much this season at Manchester United. Now he’s going to the Euros I think he’s going to be pushed to do really well in the competition and take his career to the next level.”

10. Who do you think will be the top scorer at the Euros?

“Again, its probably going to be Ronaldo, but who knows, I reckon it will be tight but if Poland stay in the competition long enough, Lewandowski has a good chance. He is perhaps a less obvious choice.”

Details:

Website: www.sundara-karma.co.uk
Twitter: @sundarakarma

Credit: Check out the explosive guitar driven anthem ‘Loveblood’ by Sundara…

 
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