Inside the England camp as players enjoy downtime between matches

Just minutes before England’s training session at their Weimar HQ on Thursday, Declan Rice, ball in hand, steamed in towards the stumps.

Captain Harry Kane, batting at the opposite end, drove the slow-to-medium pace delivery straight back at Rice, only for the Arsenal midfielder to fumble the opportunity for a caught and bowled.

Hands on head, Rice could not believe it. Kane, by contrast, could not contain his laughter.

It was something to smile about… finally. Although let’s hope Rice does not let an opportunity slip through his fingers in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday evening.

After days of negativity, England’s players are doing all they can to lift the mood.

The cricket set is just one of the methods support staff are using to keep things cheerful following a less than perfect start to these Euros.

Manager Gareth Southgate gave his players permission to indulge in a few beers on Wednesday as they recovered from their exertions in the 0-0 draw against Slovenia the night before.

Former boss Fabio Capello regularly resisted pleas from England players to have a couple of beers after matches.

It wasn’t that the players wanted to get sloshed, but rather an attempt to build camaraderie by simply sitting and chatting over a nice cold one.

It appears Southgate, within reason of course, acknowledges the benefits too.

On Wednesday Anthony Gordon, unintentionally, also did his bit to lighten the mood.

Germany was awash with conspiracy theories on Thursday as to why the Newcastle winger turned up for training with a painful looking cut on his chin and unsightly scratch on his nose.

Surely the mood in camp wasn’t that bad that they had resorted to fisticuffs?

Not at all. Gordon, during a recovery session, fell off one of the electric bikes that have become a staple of the players’ daily routine, much to the amusement of his team-mates.

‘I was coming down on my bike, I saw Ant and he was lying there with his face, hands and chin bloodied and I just started laughing,’ revealed Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa. ‘At least he wore his helmet, that’s the main thing.

‘I’ve never been on a bike like it. It’s weird. You can pick up some speed, you press the turbo and as you pedal it goes quick. It must have been a bad fall.

‘I think he pressed the wrong brake because back in England the brakes are on different sides, so the left is the back.

‘I think that will be the last time we go on the bike. Knowing him he will probably do a bike celebration now if he gets a goal.’

In between massages and treatment, the TV communal areas have been crucial in trying to lift spirits as the players have gathered to watch the other matches taking place in the Euros.

Adam Wharton has hardly missed a game, by all accounts. But the television is not only for football. It is for Love Island, too.

‘Love Island — we’re big on that,’ confesses Konsa. ‘The boys love it. Every night, a few of the boys come into my room and we watch it.’

What the TV is not for, however, is for the players to catch up on the build-up to next week’s General Election.

The Football Association have offered the England team guidance on how to register their votes ahead of the poll on July 4.

They will be unable to vote in person next week if they get past Slovakia in their last-16 tie on Sunday, as they will still be based in Germany.

But the FA contacted players’ representatives prior to the tournament to deal with the matter.

The FA did not want to publicise their endeavours so as to not seem arrogant in presuming they would still be in the tournament. That having been said, you get the impression that voting is not top of the players’ list of priorities.

‘Politics talk? Errr… not at all. We get the BBC and ITV, but are only showing the football on our TVs,’ said Konsa.

So, it is football and Love Island. Thankfully something to smile about in camp.

Let’s hope the nation is smiling on Sunday night too.