Vanessa Keller

It's been a very different England line-up to the one of previous tournaments, but Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson are both standing strong amongst the pressure as they work to beat the low expectation set upon them by fans and pundits alike.

For many, the image of a footballer is not the same than that of any person they know or know of, with sportsmen often taking a much more emotionless, hero-like picture in fans' minds as they play week in and out and enjoy pleasures in life that the majority of the population won't ever experience.

The rain has been pouring all week in Krakow, and it couldn't be a better time to head for the beach coast of Gdansk as the Republic of Ireland prepare to prove the critics wrong and show up tournament favourites Spain (I still have hope!).

Former Chelsea star Paul Elliot has argued that a lot of positives can come out of the current racism problems at Euro 2012, despite the issue continuing to come up after the tournament began.

Jamie Carragher has revealed that Steven Gerrard had a big influence over Wayne Rooney when he started out in the England squad, with the Liverpool captain having shown leadership qualities from a young age.

The first round of Euro 2012 matches have come to an end, with some unexpected results setting up an exciting second lot of games over the next few days.

The top four reported targets for Manchester United have had a great start to their Euro tournament.

All the action and reaction from England's match up with France last night, with the Three Lions holding on for a draw after going ahead thanks to a Joleon Lescott header.

After a big night celebrating and lamenting the Group of Death results, Holland made the solemn trip back to Krakow for training on Sunday, and it was obvious in their body language just how badly they wanted to make up for what had happened on Saturday night.

It might be the Group of Death, but not many football fans were expecting the outcomes that took place on Saturday night for Holland, Denmark, Germany and Portugal.

Joe Hart has had a season for Manchester City that left many crediting him with being the key reason for their last-gasp title win over Manchester United. And now he needs to repeat the same feat for England.

John Terry will have millions of eager eyes firmly on him as the Chelsea captain takes to the pitch tonight for England in their first group stage match against France.

As England jetted off to Donestk today to prepare for the first of their three group stage matches, it would have been with a heavy heart as the team said goodbye to their base at quaint Krakow for now at least.

Former Tottenham striker Garth Crooks has spoken at the launch for anti-racism group FARE's Euro 2012 project, saying that he believes players should walk off the pitch if they can't cope with racial abuse.

Major Euro 2012 sponsor Carlsberg are in support of UEFA bringing the tournament to Poland and the Ukraine, with marketing senior vice president Khalil Younes insisting that the encouragement of debate around racial problems helps bring the issues to light.

After a hectic first day in Warsaw and a chance to see the action and reaction to the first games, Saturday saw an early start with the train to Krakow leaving at the unfriendly hour of 8am.

Robin van Persie has had a wildly successful season for Arsenal, and despite having scored 36 goals for the Gunners over the past season, the striker was unable to repeat his top performances for Holland last night as they went down 1-0 to Denmark.

Ashley Young has given his thoughts on Manchester United teammates Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand, as England prepare for their first group stage match against France on Monday.

After months of serious build up around the continent, the 2012 Euros finally began last night, and there was no better place to be than in the middle of the action as Warsaw's flagship football stadium opened its tunnels for Poland v Greece.

Arriving in Warsaw at around 11pm on Thursday night, a big day was following for me, and a lot of issues were bound to come to light.

Manchester United look set to lose Paul Pogba, with the youngster close to signing a deal with Juventus, club chief Giuseppe Marotta has revealed.

Tottenham are already looking at possible replacements for Rafael van der Vaart, according to reports in Germany, with the playmaker admitting he would be open to a possible move to Schalke in the summer.

Chelsea transfer news: Hulk moving to Stamford Bridge would be great for the club, Ramires says

Per Mertesacker says he's looking forward to facing Arsenal teammate Robin van Persie at the Euros, with the side preparing for a particularly tough group including 2012 World Cup runners-up Holland, Portugal and Denmark.

Steven Pienaar looks set for Everton move after Harry Redknapp says he can't compete with Gareth Bale at Tottenham

Dave Whelan has hit back at Liverpool, claiming that the club misinterpreted his comments regarding their pursuit of Wigan manager Roberto Martinez.

UEFA supported anti-racism group FARE has launched a campaign to target racism at Euro 2012, with the group announcing they will create up to 300 self-declared inclusivity zones and a 'Respect Diverty' theme for the semi-finals.

Charlie Adam says he loves everything about playing for Liverpool, with the midfielder feeling just as welcome at Merseyside as if he were in his hometown in Scotland.

Lucas Leiva has revealed that he is on the path to recovery, with the Liverpool star hoping to be back in action for the Reds when their pre-season training commences.