This is Talk Radio across the UK, online, on DAB and on your smart speaker, the Independent Republic of Mike Graham, on Talk Radio.

Good morning and welcome to the Independent Republic of Mike Graham right here on Talk Radio. What a beautiful morning to be alive, ladies and gentlemen.

England have finally done it.

They've only gone and got themselves into the final of the Euros.

They play this today at Wembley on Sunday night in front of at least 60,000 people,

and that number could even rise to 90,000 before the end of the week,

even possibly before the end of today.

We're expecting a few announcements this morning.

Let's face it, for all the grimacing, for all the agony, the ecstasy in the end, was worth it, wasn't it?

I've been talking to some people this morning.

Some of them are saying to me, I can't stand the stress.

I can't take it.

I thought it was going to go to penalties last night. That's what I predicted when I was on Mark Dolan's show. It very nearly did, and it was indeed a penalty that made the difference between winning and

losing. I put out, as I always do in these times of trouble, that great speech by Al Pacino

in the film Any Given Sunday, when he ends it with just those words. That's football.

That's all it is.

It's brilliant.

Absolutely brilliant.

When Denmark went one up last night, it's a bit like watching the old England, wasn't it?

The team that only ever got so far in tournaments before crashing out without reaching

the final stages.

The team that had everyone on the edge of their seats cringing with every missed opportunity.

...