Tickets for Lionesses semi-final sell out in minutes as Euros fever takes hold

Newly released tickets for England’s Women’s Euros semi-final sold out in minutes on Monday as Lionesses-mania gripped the nation.

The team, who dispatched Spain in extra-time last week in a breathless quarter final, play Sweden on Tuesday at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane ground.

Most of the tickets for the game at the 32,050 capacity stadium were sold before the tournament began but UEFA released a limited amount on Monday morning which were soon snapped up.

England are the bookmakers favourites to win the whole tournament after a series of outstanding displays including a record 8-0 defeat of Norway in the group stage.

The team have been inspired in part by squad member – and Arsenal defender - Lotte Wubben-Moy – whose series of social media doodles have won her thousands of fans.

The 23-year-old, who was brought up in Bow, east London before honing her skills in the US, has been posting drawings and messages in the national team camp to further motivate the players ahead of every game.

One of her doodles features the Lionesses overcoming the ‘Spanish Bull’, depicting the team’s epic 2-1 quarter final victory.

The detailed drawing tells the story of the game showing Ella Toone and Georgia Stanway who scored the goals and an England flag behind a castle wall, in tribute to how well England defended at the end of the quarter final which went into extra time last Monday.

Paul Cox, her first coach at Olga primary school in Bow, spoke of his “immense pride” describing how she was destined for greatness from an early age and revealed she was also a talent in the art studio.

Wubben-Moy, who has recovered from Covid after catching the virus during the tournament, came to the school aged around six and set up a girls’ side which became a force across London.

Mr Cox said: “She was the best. She would bark orders at the boys playing football, she was absolutely brilliant. She had a great shot, she played in midfield for us. She was a real leader. I was the coach but I listened to her, she was so unbelievably good from day one.

“As a girl she was good at all her lessons but never stopped talking about football. She lived and breathed it, she was just a joy to have at the school. She comes from such a nice, supportive family. She was good at all of this academic side as well and was very good at art.”