England captain Wayne Rooney has described the upcoming friendly against France as a chance for the opponents to “do their country proud” after the terror attacks in Paris.
It had been suggested that the match between England and France might be postponed after more than 130 people were killed on Friday, but the respective FAs have agreed that it should go ahead.
Fans of England have been encouraged to join French supporters in singing La Marseillaise before the game, while Rooney and coach Roy Hodgson have both spoken out ahead of the meeting between two of the Euro 2016 favourites.
During a press conference ahead of the game, Rooney offered condolences to those affected by the tragedy.
“The world of football has to stay strong together and try to deal with this situation. Football will bring people together,” he added.
Hodgson, meanwhile, acknowledged the gravity of the situation, saying: “I can’t deny there are other issues at stake here that are much more important than football.”
