England park talk of history in hope of something more

Given the gravity of what he had just achieved, Gareth Southgate didn't give himself long to bask in it.

England had just beaten Germany in a major tournament knockout game for the first time since 1966. It was the first knockout win over anyone in a European Championship for 25 years.

The victory, courtesy of goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane, brought the house down at a raucous Wembley Stadium as critics of the team's perceived negative style were forced to watch as England put one of the world's great tournament sides to the sword.

It wasn't without its bumps - it rarely is with England - and they had to withstand periods of pressure and moments where they themselves again struggled for attacking fluency.

But all that was blown away when Sterling diverted Luke Shaw's cross home 15 minutes from time. When captain Kane, under the microscope for much of the tournament after a run of below-par form, headed in a second 10 minutes later the roof came off and a country as one roared in relief.

It was a moment a quarter of a century coming for Southgate with Wembley of course the scene of his lowest low and that penalty shootout defeat at the hands of the Germans back at Euro 96. But now it is relief and redemption and Rome, where England will now play Ukraine in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

Many would take time to cherish such a moment, to drink it in after so long, but Southgate is already looking forwards to what he hopes will be much more.

“I’m just thinking about Saturday, really,” he said after the game. “It was lovely to be on the side. To see the second goal go in was a really special moment. But we’ve not achieved what we want to achieve yet. We can look back on a day like today in the future, but I want to get Saturday right and get my focus on that game.

"I know what we've set out to achieve and today of course is a big result," he added. "England have never managed to beat Germany in a knockout game since the final here and I think we haven't put together in a tournament a semi-final followed by a quarter-final since 1966 either.

"These players keep writing history and they've got the chance again. We've only ever been to one European Championship semi-final so, again, they've got the chance to do something really special and we've got to make sure we give ourselves the very best chance of doing that."

It is a message already well instilled in his team.

While the celebrations were no doubt jubilant and long into the night, the first team were soon back at it on Wednesday morning for recovery work at St George's Park.

"We've got to enjoy the moment," goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said. "But we've got to get prepared right, recover well and train well. Every team in this competition is a good side, so we've got to be on our A game and prepare well for Saturday. We've had the opportunity to play four games at Wembley and the atmosphere of 45,000 fans today was amazing.

"I think that just gives us the desire on Saturday, it is another opportunity to come back to Wembley. Come Saturday we will be prepared for what they put up against us."

open image in gallery

At a tournament where travelling has been the norm home advantage has served England well with three wins from four games so far. Should they negotiate their way past the Ukrainians in a few days' time they will return to home soil for the semi-finals and a potential final.

And it is that lofty goal that continues to drive this group on. They and the man in charge are all too aware that even nights as celebrated as Tuesday will soon be forgotten should they not make a chance of this calibre count.

"Of course now we've got to go to Rome, away from our own fans," Southgate added. "A different sort of experience for us and we've got to be ready for all of those challenges and changes. The preparation time is of course really short, so much less time on the training pitch.

"I mean, we were able to work unusually in as much depth this week as we were because we don't normally get that time with the players. That's going to be a quicker turnaround. It's going to be about recovery, it's going to be about making sure psychologically we're back in the right place.

"This is where the squad have been so good to be understanding of the changes. The players that haven't played as much as they would have hoped have been immense.

"I've got to say it's a really difficult role and they've done it brilliantly. We said to them yesterday 'look, we're talking two more weeks to be a part of something really special' and they're all in on that.

"But it doesn't make it any easier. You go training in the morning and that's a hard session for that group that haven't played. I've done it so I know how that feels.

"But without their mentality and without the way they've been and their contribution when they've come into the game as subs, then we wouldn't be in a quarter-final now."

If England are to achieve what they so dream of this summer it will need all of them to do it. It is now only three steps away.