Holly Willoughby's football-mad children were up watching the big match on Wednesday night, where England didn’t quite make the World Cup final in a 2:1 defeat against Croatia. And while – like the rest of the country – Holly's family would have started the evening celebrating Kieran Tripper's goal, by the end of the night there were tears from the youngest member of the family, Holly's oldest son Harry. The doting mum shared a heartbreaking photo of her nine-year-old's reaction to the final results on Instagram, which showed him rubbing his eyes in despair as the England team reflected on their loss minutes after the whistle was blown. "For so many reasons he will never forget his first World Cup," Holly wrote in the caption. On This Morning, Holly then recalled the evening, revealling that both Harry and his friend had watched the game and cried at the end. "I have to say, I didn’t quite know what to do. I was watching it with my nine-year-old son [Harry] and his best friend and they were watching the TV and I didn’t anticipate how bad it was going to get at the end… and I had two little boys in tears last night. And they had to go out in the garden and walk it off, it was their first experience of a World Cup, and one they’ll never forget," she sharied.
Holly Willoughby shared a rare photo of her son Harry cheering on England
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Fellow parents were quick to relate to Holly's Instagram photo, with many taking to share their own stories. "My 7 year old sobbed his heart out, and he's half Scottish - bless them...It won't get any easier," one wrote, while another said: "My son's 2nd World Cup but first one he is interested in he is 7 years old and plays football himself for our town and just about cried himself to sleep over it." A third added: "This actually makes me feel so sad."
It comes at no surprise that Holly's son was so upset about the semi-final results. Holly – although protective of her children's privacy – often talks about Harry's obsession with football. A keen Arsenal supporter, Harry even wrote in his Mother's Day card to Holly that he loved her more than football, something that the 37-year-old was particularly touched by.
Holly's Mother's Day card from her son Harry
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Just before the semi-finals, Holly had shared a never-before-seen photo of herself and England's captain Harry Kane to show her support for the nation's team. "Thinking of this man and his teammates…weight of a nation on his shoulders… #england #itscominghome," she wrote. Earlier in the day, Holly and her co-host Phillip Schofield had got into the World Cup spirit on This Morning, and had even been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the very football used the last time England won the competition in 1966. Holly was even more optimistic about England's chances after a fortune telling pig featured in an article, revealing that there was a high hope that they would win.