"Dead polite, respectful": The real lives of Greater Manchester's England Euros stars... Phil Foden, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Kieran Trippier and more

Gareth Southgate's England are on the brink of ending the country's agonising wait for a men's major trophy.

Should the Three Lions beat Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday, they will create history and banish 58 long years of hurt. Millions will be cheering them on across the country, including in pubs, living rooms and fan zones across Greater Manchester.

England booked their spot in the final in Berlin with a 2-1 win over the Netherlands on Wednesday night. And Mancunians have even more reason to be proud of their success.

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Many of the stars who have got England this far have links to our city. While four of the squad honed their skills on the streets and football fields of Greater Manchester, others have moved here to play for City or United.

Among them are Red Devils midfielder Kobbie Mainoo and Blues star Phil Foden, both of whom hail from Stockport. In total, there are three players from both City and United in the Three Lions squad which is just one win away from glory.

Born in Stockport, Mainoo attended Cheadle Catholic Junior School as a youngster, where he balanced his football alongside his studies. He first began playing for Cheadle & Gatley Junior Football Club, where his talent was evident even at the age of four.

"He was definitely a standout player by a mile at that young age," Steve Vare, one of Mainoo's coaches at Cheadle and Gatley, told the Manchester Evening News in January of last year. "It was all a bit too easy and I was trying to make it more difficult to test him.

"His dad asked whether he would be pushed up into some of the teams, a couple of ages ahead of himself."

Before being picked up by United's