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Dan Thomas is so confident of an England victory that he has had a Euro 2024 winners tattoo inked on his leg before the game (Dan Thomas/PA)
A confident England supporter received a tattoo of a trophy and the words “England Euro 2024 Winners” on his leg three days before England’s match against Spain in the Euros final.
Dan Thomas, 29, from Swindon, Wiltshire, believes the Three Lions will win the coveted title of Euro winners and defeat Spain in Berlin on Sunday and marked his confidence with a tattoo.
The data consultant spent two and a half hours getting the UEFA European Championship trophy tattooed on his leg at the Reign Barbers and Tattoos parlour in Swindon on Thursday – the day after England defeated the Netherlands securing their place in the final.
He is so confident in the Three Lions’ victory he said he does not regret getting the sizeable tattoo covering a large part of his left thigh and predicts England will defeat Spain by 2-1.
Dan Thomas shows off the England Euro winners tattoo on his leg (Dan Thomas/PA)
“I thought (England) would get far, so it’s come as no shock,” he told the PA news agency.
“I’m pretty confident. I think it will happen. I wouldn’t have got it done if I didn’t think it would happen.
“I think it will be close and I think it will be 1-1, but go to extra time. I think we’ll win 2-1 at extra time.”
Mr Thomas considered getting a similar tattoo in 2021 when England faced Italy in the Euro 2020 final, but hopes this year’s tattoo will secure Gareth Southgate’s team victory.
Jack Wilkinson, Dan Thomas’s friend and tattoo shop owner, pictured the moment Mr Thomas held the England flag after his tattoo (Jack Wilkinson)
“I went into the studio and just said it would be great to have (the tattoo). I was joking, but then I thought, ‘actually, no, I’m really confident I’m going to get it done’ so it was a spur of the moment, last minute thing,” he said.
“My tattooist has already told me that as a punishment if they do lose then he’s not going to cover it up for at least a year.”
Mr Thomas livestreamed the moment he had the artwork tattooed to his leg, which received 42,000 views on TikTok, and he has encouraged others considering getting a similar tattoo to “go and get it”.
“They’re going to win so you may as well get it before the queues start on Monday,” he said.
It still feels surreal that he actually got it done
Jack Wilkinson, owner of Reign Barbers and Tattoos
Mr Thomas’s friend, Jack Wilkinson, who owns Reign Barbers and Tattoos, did not believe Mr Thomas would go ahead with the tattoo “until the needle actually touched the skin”.
Mr Wilkinson told PA: “I thought it was a joke to start with, but he said he was full of confidence and wanted to be the first one to get it done before everyone else gets it done after they win.
“It still feels surreal that he actually got it done. It sums up Dan as a person. He’s quite eccentric and Mr Positive.”
Tattoo artist Tinashe Chikerema applied the ink to Mr Thomas’s skin, not before he “triple checked” with the data consultant if he wanted it done.
Dan Thomas spent two and a half hours in the chair before the sizeable tattoo on his leg was complete (Dan Thomas/PA)
“I couldn’t believe he actually wanted the tattoo, but I triple-checked with him. Fair play to him for being so confident in the team,” Mr Chikerema told PA.
“I predict the score will be 3-1 to England, and I hope (Eberechi) Eze scores, as he’s my favourite player.”
Meanwhile, Mr Wilkinson believes the game will end on penalties, but admits he does not share the same certainty as Mr Thomas.
“I think it will be 1-1 and then they’ll potentially win on penalties. I’m not as confident as Dan. I’ve got a lot of tattoos, but I wouldn’t go that far.”
My tattooist has already told me that as a punishment if they do lose then he's not going to cover it up for at least a year
Dan Thomas, England fan
He said the Euros has been a “nice boost” for business particularly after his shop struggled during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We’ve had quite a few queries off the back of (Dan’s tattoo),” he explained.
“We’re a barbers as well and we don’t always open on Sundays – we do it on booking only – but we’ve got quite a few people coming in who want their hair cut before the game.
“I think from a business point of (the Euros) has helped the country with the England team doing well.
“The economy has been struggling recently, especially since Covid, and I think it has been a nice boost, especially for SMEs (small and midsize enterprises) like myself.”
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