FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION
Sheringham warns England MUST get better in Russia
GARETH SOUTHGATE touched down in Russia with his England team yesterday – and was warned the country cannot afford another World Cup disaster.
Three Lions legend Teddy Sheringham believes the optimism of a bright future for Southgate and his young team depends on them exciting the nation and reaching the knockout rounds.
England went out in the group stages in Brazil four years ago and Sheringham (above), who played in the 1998 and 2002 World Cup
finals, said: “If we went
KEVIN DE BRUYNE has hailed Raheem Sterling as a “special player” and backed his Manchester City team-mate to “light up the World Cup”.
Sterling enjoyed his finest season in City’s Premier League titlewinning campaign, plundering 23 goals for Pep Guardiola’s rampant, record-breaking side.
Against that backdrop, Sterling travelled to the World Cup full of confidence, with De Bruyne convinced the 23-year-old England star can bring his majestic club form to the biggest stage of all.
“He’s a special player,” said De Bruyne. “This season he was playing at such a high level and he’s only going to get better.
“He’s a winner – any criticism he has faced in the last few weeks I know he will just ignore.
“At Manchester City he’s so focused on success and I know he would have the same attitude with England.
“He scored many goals last season, but he scored important goals too – goals that won games in the last minute – and that takes a special type of player.
“On the big occasions he has the confidence – that is why I think he will light up the World Cup.”
Sterling and De Bruyne’s club allegiance will be put to one side on June 28, when England take on Belgium in a game that could decide which nation wins Group G.
And De Bruyne will provide his Belgium team-mates with all the first-hand information they need on Sterling in a bid to nullify his threat as one of England’s most dangerous players.
Having played a part in creating a clutch of Sterling’s goals last season, De Bruyne – City’s Player of the Year – knows his club colleague’s game inside-out and why Belgium must try to starve him of the ball.
“For me, he’s a pleasure to play with,” said De Bruyne. “He makes such intelligent runs, he pulls away from defenders with ease, and you know, if you give Raheem a good ball, then there’s a big chance he’s going to do something with it.
“England have some creative midfield players – and if they can create chances for him, then they can do well.”
Given the array of glittering talent within their ranks, which includes Premier League stars De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany and Romelu Lukaku (left), Belgium have been perennial underachievers when it comes to major tournaments.
They reached the quarter-finals at the last World Cup and Euro 2016, with De Bruyne claiming Roberto Martinez’s side are finally ready to prove their worth as major tournament contenders and fulfil their huge potential.
“We know this Belgium squad is special and, of course, we’re desperate to win a trophy,” added the 26-year-old. “We have the belief, but there can only be one nation that wins the World Cup – but we’re ready for the fight.”