World cup adventure begins: comedian joins england squad

ENGLAND TOUCH DOWN IN MIAMI...England’s World Cup squad touched down in Miami this morning ahead of their final warm-up games against Ecuador and Honduras later this week. The players will

have their first training session in Florida today as coaching staff look to make sure they're acclimatised to warm-weather conditions before departing for Rio on 8 June. Speaking

outside the team hotel in Brickell Key, manager Roy Hodgson described how the nine-hour journey across the Atlantic had gone "very well". ... BUT LEE NELSON LEFT BEHINDThere was

almost a last-minute addition to the 23-man squad as funny-man Lee Nelson attempted to board the plane disguised as a player. "Suited and booted" in official England attire, Nelson

somehow evaded security and mingled with the players as they waited to depart from Luton Airport, reports Metro. The 27-year-old comedian, who pulled a similar trick when he warmed up with

Man City players before a match at Everton last year, was quickly spotted by the players and escorted away by airport security. "The majority of England's players saw the funny

side, but others looked-on dumbstruck as Nelson was ushered away for questioning," says the Daily Telegraph. 'WORLD CUP HUB' COULD BE ENGLAND'S SECRET WEAPONWhile

England's players endure the heat in Brazil, number crunchers will also be working hard at England's 'World Cup hub' at St George's Park. Senior FA analysts will

dissect every minute of all 64 games played in Brazil to ensure Roy Hodgson and his men have all the information they need on potential opponents. "Compiling match reports and noting

popular set-piece routines", the new "operational nerve centre" will "blend traditional methods of analysis with the modern desire for video analysis", says the

Daily Mail. Let's just hope it can predict penalties. SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. SUBSCRIBE

& SAVE SIGN UP FOR THE WEEK'S FREE NEWSLETTERS From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our

morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. PLANE SAILING AT WEMBLEYThere was plenty to cheer for England at Wembley on

Friday night as they beat Peru 3-0 in their final World Cup warm up on home soil. But despite goals from Daniel Sturridge, Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka it was a strike of another kind that

took the roof off Wembley. A paper aeroplane launched from the top tier of the stadium soared gracefully over the crowd, onto the pitch and hit Peru defender Hansell Riojas on the head,

sparking pandemonium among the fans. [embedded content]