FORMER Cherries goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale revealed he was in Ayia Napa with friends the last time England competed at a major tournament.

The Stoke-on-Trent-born keeper was coming through the ranks at the Dorset club when England made the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia back in 2018.

Now part of Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for Euro 2020, Ramsdale admits he is looking to capture the imagination of a nation with England looking to go all the way in the tournament.

Asked what he was doing during England's run to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, Ramsdale told Sky Sports: “I was in Ayia Napa with my friends! We watched the first two games over there and that was just incredible.

“The feeling it gave us watching it, really everyone says it reunited the country and I felt that because I was the one watching it on the big screen.

“Hopefully now I can be part of this team and we can do that again.”

Ramsdale joined Cherries from Sheffield United for an initial £800,000 in January 2017 before heading back to Bramall Lane last summer for £18.5million.

He made 37 appearances for Cherries during his breakthrough Premier League campaign in 2019-20.

Sheffield United star Ramsdale was earlier this month drafted into the England squad to replace Dean Henderson, who withdrew due to a hip injury.

Southgate’s side on Tuesday face Germany at Wembley for a place in the last eight.

Asked whether he thought three years ago there was a chance he could be with the England squad by now, the goalkeeper gave a frank assessment.

“To be honest, no,” he admitted.

“I thought this summer if obviously COVID wasn't around, then I was obviously going to be playing for the under-21s at that Euros.

“It's obviously worked out in my favour that we played in March and unfortunately got knocked out but that was my goal, my goal was to win the tournament with the under-21s and unfortunately it's not happened.

“But now I'm standing here and I'm quite happy that it has worked out this way."