Footballers' wives hit the boutiques of Baden-Baden, Germany.[telegraph.co.uk]

Six of them went on a spree in Baden-Baden, where the England squad is based, buying more than 3,000 pounds worth of designer clothes in an hour.

Coleen McLoughlin, 20, the girlfriend of Wayne Rooney, led the charge, buying Gucci shoes and a Dolce and Gabbana shirt from Monika Scholz, the most expensive boutique in the German spa town.

Five others, including Ellen Rives, 29, the wife of Frank Lampard, and Carly Zucker, the girlfriend of Joe Cole, followed, splashing out on sunglasses next door. They then paid a further ¡ê1,500 for shoes and shirts in 10 minutes.

After a jewellery shop visit they retired to the Garibaldi bar for a drink with Sol Campbell and Rio Ferdinand. "We are just here to support the boys," said Miss Rives. "We are having a great time."

Unsurprisingly, Peter Maalassa, of Monika Scholz, said: "I hope England play well so they will stay longer." Absent from the trip was Alex Curran, Steven Gerrard's fianc¨¦e, who was caring for daughters Lexie, one month, and Lilly-Ella, two, at the hotel.