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IN the end we got carried away – and then we got found out.

I’m gutted England didn’t reach the final. It was just a game too far. What they’ve done is a great achievement but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

People say we will be better in two years – and we might – but I’d still be shocked if we won the Euros. It’s actually harder to win that tournament than the World Cup. Every team at the Euros is quality. Belgium and Germany will be better. France will still be good and might be the reigning world champions.

And you will probably have Italy and Holland to add to the mix.

Plus don’t forget Croatia will be there too!

It will be interesting to see how England get on against Belgium in the third-place match tomorrow.

If we lose that game, we’ll have lost to every decent team we played in this tournament.

It will take the gloss off and maybe it would be a reality check.

I just think England have got to be more flexible going forward. There has to be a Plan B and Gareth Southgate has to recognise when a game is slipping away and be more decisive. We’ve done well to get as far as we did in this World Cup but there was such a chance here to get to the final – and chances like that don’t come around too often.

The draw was kind to us and we had a massive chance to get to the final.

But in all honesty, we were terrible against Croatia.

Flaws

We started off very, very well. There was clearly a plan to get Raheem Sterling in with the ball over the top and stretch them with his pace.

But when that wasn’t working they just kept doing it. Jordan Henderson must have hit that same ball 20 times.

This team has always had flaws and it catches up with you in the end. Too many players were playing out of position and we weren’t scoring enough goals from open play. Ashley Young struggled. He is not a left wing-back. Kyle Walker is not a right-sided centre back. He struggled. John Stones has always had a mistake in him and he made one against Croatia. He just switched off for a split second and they scored the winner.

The two goals we conceded were atrocious really. It was miles too easy for them on both. Walker has got to be more aware and clear the first one.

But a centre-back who knows the position and gets tested there more regularly probably clears that.

Then Stones just falls asleep. That’s why he doesn’t play much for Manchester City.

It’s disappointing. But it was the first time we’d played a really good team in the tournament and we came up short.

Maybe this team is just not as good as everyone thought. Kieran Trippier, Harry Maguire and Jordan Pickford have all had great tournaments.

After that, has anyone really shone? Kane is probably going to win the Golden Boot but do you come away thinking he’s the best striker in the world? Not really. It’s all been set pieces. He hasn’t really tested too many keepers and he’s faded badly at the end of the last few games.

Bar the one goal he scored, Dele Alli has disappeared. Sterling still hasn’t scored. Walker has made mistakes.

With 30 minutes to go against Croatia I thought we looked tired. We were struggling. Danny Rose had to come on earlier for me. And Eric Dier probably should have started.

But I don’t think there was arrogance from anyone, so I don’t know what Croatia are complaining about.

I only had England as favourites because Croatia had just played 120 minutes backto-back. If they hadn’t just been through that I wouldn’t have seen us beating them in a month of Sundays.

Croatia wobbled badly after we scored but England didn’t put them away, and in the second half we were all over the shop. The shape had gone.

Credit to Gareth, he got them back together for extra time, calmed them down, and they went out and played well again.

But it wore off quickly. That’s the inexperience of a young team.

Interview by Paul Brown