Guéhi and Spence on settling into life in Kansas

Djed Spence is looking forward to being involved in his first major tournament as England build up to their opener in Dallas on Wednesday 17 June 2026 (9pm BST kick-off).

The Tottenham Hotspur star secured his place on the plane to the USA, included in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, named last month.

And it still makes him emotional to think about how much he’s achieved and just how far he’s come.

“It catches me at some moments,” he said, speaking on the latest episode of Lions’ Den connected by EE. “It’s been a long journey for me personally, as well, especially where I come from, so I do catch myself and I have to give gratitude and give thanks.

“I’ve always thought I was going to be there [playing for England at a tournament] from young but that’s just a dream. That’s just where you want to be and then it’s about turning that dream into a reality.”

And it was only recently that he took a moment to reflect on his journey after the Three Lions touched down at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport after completing their preparation camp in Florida.

“Probably yesterday in the hotel,” he explained. “Especially when we came here and England organised everything for us.

“They’ve got pictures of us; our families sent over stuff and had a little box with messages and stuff in it.”

Tuchel and his players, who will be based at Swope Soccer Village throughout the group stage, are settling into their new home from home.

And Marc Guéhi is one member of the squad that has enjoyed exploring their surroundings.

“We’ve got the park basically where we’re at, so loads of people that already live in the estate or the neighbourhood can see us,” said Guéhi.

“If you want to go out for a walk, you can. I’ve been on a few bike rides myself and said ‘hello’ to the locals.”

And the Manchester City defender – who discussed some of his hobbies away from the pitch, which includes drumming, DJing and his love of WWE – gave a sense of England’s basecamp.

“The setup is good,” he continued. “We’ve got everything that we need here – saunas, pool, good medical centre, a chill area for the guys, a bit of basketball for those that like basketball.”

Watch every episode of Lions’ Den connected by EE on the official England app. Download the app and register for free to watch them first.