An England fan was so confident they would win on Sunday that he had a tattoo saying "England Euro 2024 winners" put on his leg three days before the final. 

Dan Thomas, 29, from the neighbouring town of Swindon, believed the Three Lions would win the coveted title of Euro winners and defeat Spain in Berlin.

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 was so confident in the Three Lions’ victory that he said he did not regret getting the sizeable tattoo covering a large part of his left thigh and predicts England will defeat Spain by 2-1.

(Image: Jack Wilkinson/PA)

“I thought (England) would get far, so it’s come as no shock,” he said.

“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.

“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 live-streamed 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.

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 said: "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.

“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.”

He said the Euros has been a “nice boost” for business particularly after his shop struggled during the Covid pandemic.

“We’ve had quite a few queries off the back of (Dan’s tattoo),” he explained.