“I get chills just thinking about it, even now.”
Rio Ferdinand is evoking his own memories of the last time England hosted the European Championships in 1996, having just been announced as the nation's ambassador for next summer's UEFA EURO 2020 extravaganza.
“Feeling the buzz and the energy from the fans lining the streets, it brought the country out and it really brought the country together so hopefully that’s going to be a big part of the picture when we get to that stage again.”
Ferdinand was an 18-year-old on the verge of breaking through with West Ham United at the time, and was privileged to see Euro 96 from inside the England camp after being called up as a training player to help prepare Terry Venables’ squad for two of their group games.
“I went in to train with the squad for two games, the Scotland and Holland games, so I was actually there on the coach on the way to the games at Wembley,” he recalls, with next year’s UEFA EURO 2020 tournament just one year away and applications for tickets are now closed.
“The likes of Gazza, Paul Ince, Alan Shearer, Tony Adams and people like that, you’re training alongside them and thinking ‘Wow!’
“They’re giants of the game and to be working with them as a young kid was a dream come true for me really.
“So to be around the players and then seeing the scenes around the games, it was just a great boost for me to be involved, it gave me something to aim at and I wanted to replicate what these guys were doing.”
It certainly had the desired effect on Ferdinand, who made his England debut the following year and went on to win 81 caps for the Three Lions in a distinguished career which saw him become one of the country’s most decorated players following spells with West Ham, Leeds United, Manchester United and Queens Park Rangers.
And he’s going to be involved again next year in his role as an ambassador as Wembley prepares to host seven games at UEFA EURO 2020, including four group games, a round of 16 tie, both semi-finals and the showpiece final.
“It’s a great honour for me to be chosen as an ambassador for the tournament in England,” he added.
“Wembley’s a great, iconic place and a lot of memories have been created there over the years so hopefully we can be a part in many more being made.
“London’s an iconic city too and the history in football that goes alongside England is there for all to see, so not just the football community, but I’m sure England as a whole will welcome the tournament with open arms.”
Should Gareth Southgate’s side qualify for the UEFA EURO 2020 tournament, then their group games will take place at Wembley too, no doubt bringing back memories of their '96 victories over Scotland, Netherlands and Spain.
The Three Lions’ qualifying campaign got off to a flying start in March with big wins over Czech Republic and Montenegro and will resume in September, following a break for this month’s Nations League Finals.
“I’m very confident that we’ll be qualified and I just hope we can go into the tournament and put on a good show and give the fans something to sing about again,” he added.
“The team would’ve wanted to get to the Nations League final last week, but they were beaten by a good team in Holland so it just wasn’t to be this year.
“But it’s more experience for the current team and they went to penalties again, which I’m sure is going to play a part in the Euros at some point.
“And we finished it off with a win, so the Euros will be something to look forward to if the team keeps on improving.
“There’s always room for new players to come in too and by next summer, from the squad that we’ve just seen in the Nations League, there might be some new additions from the U21s and it’ll be exciting to see who those names might be.”
Ferdinand also believes the opportunity to become a UEFA EURO 2020 volunteer is something too great to pass by, particularly for young adults in the London area striving to enjoy a unique experience and make lifelong memories.
Applications are now open for volunteers, who will work across London in a variety of roles, and Camberwell-born Ferdinand admits it’s the sort of involvement he would’ve craved as a youngster growing up.
“It’s giving people the opportunity to work on a big event and involved, which is great,” he said.
“At Wembley, there’s going to be around 1300 volunteers based there, so to be one of those and feel that energy, for that feeling alone, it’s worth getting involved in.
“It’s something I definitely would’ve tried to do.”
