My next door neighbours are building a human rollercoaster for a musical Fringe show (as you do).

Chatting to them about this took me back to Switzerland, where my daughter Livvy and I had the privilege to watch five games in the later stages of the rollercoaster women's euros - including seeing England beat Spain in the final.

Just how on earth did England come through to win a tournament against so many odds? Was it luck, incredible team spirit, canny management - or all of the above?

Ten days before the final, I thought my trip to Switzerland would be a damp squib. Having bought quarter-final tickets 'blind' in advance, I watched England v Sweden on TV in Basel and 78 minutes in, I was very glum. England were finished, 2-0 down, before turning the game around, then somehow prevailing after missing 4 kicks in the craziest of penalty shoot-outs.

After really enjoying the Spain v Switzerland, and Germany v France quarter-finals, I was at the England semi-final with Italy - and it was torture.

England underperformed massively, and again, it was Michelle Agyemang, a 19-year-old with no high-level pedigree for club, never mind country, who pulled them back into the game before sassy Chloe Kelly scored the winner.

I watched Spain scrape past Germany in the other semi, thanks to silky Bonmati's brilliance, and really enjoyed the build-up to the final. Livvy and I were at the 'Lionesses HQ' in Basel (one free drink each, snack prices not cheap).

The atmosphere at the stadium was fantastic, and I was relatively calm. Spain were clearly the best footballing team in the tournament, with the most talented group of players, and to lose to them would have been no disgrace. But, of course, England didn't lose; they dug deep again, and came through.

Since I came back, I've thought a lot about how (and why) they prevailed against the odds. Are there lessons for us all when putting together teams, whether in a sporting or a working environment?

In England's case, there's no doubt that the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. They have some world-class players in the squad, but it was the collective endeavour and never-say-die team spirit that saw them through some really challenging situations - not unlike a business that pulls together in tough times, I guess.

There was something fundamental about playing to your strengths, using individuals' specific skills appropriately. When England were chasing a game, they needed the crossing of Kelly and the physicality of Agyemang, to pump balls into the box and make defences terrified.

When they were being comprehensively outplayed by Spain at the end of the first half of the final, England dug in and held on until half-time - then changed their tactics, pressing Spain higher and making them play long balls, which Spain hate doing.

I've read a few people writing about luck and there was some, clearly - specifically Sweden's inability to convert the penalties that would have taken them through and sent England home. That was the one time that England's destiny was largely out of their own hands.

At all other times, England's ability to change tactics, to switch players. to dig deep - and to pull together in a crisis - definitely helped create their own luck.

Sarina Wiegman highlighted that the spirit in the squad was great when England won the euros in 2022, but said this time it was off the scale - and it showed. We can definitely all learn from that; what really tests us in life is facing a tough situation, an awkward decision, an unexpected challenge, or a deep crisis - and how we rise to that.

How the Lionesses rose to those challenges and crises was phenomenal.

Was there some luck? Of course. But do you create luck by never giving in, pushing to the end, believing that the ball will break in your favour? I think you probably do - and again, in our professional lives, there's a so much to learn. You have to keep going, even if things look bleak: don't give up; try something different; play to people's strengths. And above all else, as Leah Williamson said, stick together. Always have each others' backs - through good times and bad.

As a Derby County fan for 50+ years, I've had many more bad than good times watching football - and with the England men's team too. Watching the Lionesses has given me and my daughter (and many others), some really good times. (So good, so good).

There's something magical happening in women's football - and after being at Wembley when England won their first euros in 2022, I feel very privileged to have been able to share the success again, and to ride that roller-coaster once more.