Sir Keir Starmer is “incredibly proud to be English” after England’s 3-2 victory over Mexico overnight, which will send the team into the Football World Cup quarter-finals.
The Three Lions overcame Mexico in a 3-2 thriller which had been delayed by an hour from the original kick-off of 1am, meaning fans who stayed up did not get to bed until gone 4am.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister watched the match last night and stayed up to do so. He watched it upstairs in the Downing Street flat with his son, and he’s a touch sleep-deprived this morning, but incredibly proud of the team, and incredibly proud to be English after that performance.
“He’s seen England play over many years, but this morning’s victory in the heat of the Azteca Stadium, and at altitude and against a host nation, was up there for him as being one of England’s best ever performances.
“He’s very much looking forward to the quarter final on Saturday.
“In the coming days, the St George’s Cross will hang high and proudly over No 10, and Downing Street will look glorious in St George’s Day bunting in the July sun.”
Fans who stayed up until 4.30am to watch England clinch a spot in the World Cup quarter-final said they were “pulling sickies” as dawn broke on Monday morning.
Speaking outside Wembley Stadium in north-west London after watching the game at Boxpark Wembley, Ollie, 29, who did not want to disclose his surname, joked he would be “very ill” in a few hours when he needed to go to work.
“And luckily my manager is also ill,” he told the Press Association.
“The win was a long time coming,” he added.
It comes after early education minister Olivia Bailey urged children to get to school even if they are “a bit sleepy” this morning after watching England’s late-night World Cup clash with Mexico.
She told Times Radio: “I would absolutely encourage kids to get themselves into school this morning.
“They might feel a bit tired, but it’ll be a good day at school, and it’s really important they get in there, because every day at school matters, even when you’re feeling a bit sleepy, and of course it will be good to celebrate with their friends too, because what a great result it was.”
She told Sky News: “You might feel a bit tired, but that’s also important to learn that resilience, because there’ll be many more days when you feel a bit tired at work, and you’ve got to get through, and you’ve got to still learn.”
