CHANCE TO WRITE OUR OWN STORIES
In case it’s hide-behind-your-sofa time tonight:
up and try to score.’ Jamie Vardy, who is not expected to start, is also among the candidates if he is on the pitch.
england have lost six of seven competitive penalty shootouts but manager Gareth Southgate urged his players to ignore the past and make their own history in Moscow this evening.
‘ The lads have the chance to write their own stories now,’ said Southgate. ‘We’ve been in this position many times over the last however many years. It’s pointless us even thinking about what might happen after the game. We focus on the game, on our performance, and everything will fall into place from there.’ Southgate has also ordered his players to belt out God Save The Queen.
Young said: ‘ When I came back into the squad it was very important that everybody knew the National Anthem and sang their hearts out. It is not just those playing — it starts on the bench and everyone is together. We link arms as well.’
Colombia manager Jose Pekerman insists his team can cope without talisman James Rodriguez if the attacker fails to recover from the swollen calf muscle that forced him to miss training yesterday.
Pekerman said: ‘he has been very important for our team. But sometimes when he hasn’t been able to play we still managed to perform properly.’
THESE are the five men who are ready to take penalties if tonight’s last-16 game against Colombia goes to a dreaded shootout.
Harry Kane, Kieran Trippier, Jesse Lingard, Jordan Henderson and Ashley Young — who missed in Euro 2012 — have put their hands up for the nervejangling job. ‘Of course I’ll put my name forward,’ said Young, who hit the bar as England lost a shootout to Italy in the 2012 quarter-final.
‘A penalty is a penalty. You step