Force to reckon with

ENGLAND boss Gareth Southgate has warned his men they will face a “powerful force” when Denmark come to Wembley on Wednesday.

The two sides meet in a crunch showdown to do battle for a place in the final on Sunday.

The Danes have become one of the teams of the tournament after finding extra inspiration in the wake of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest in their opening game in Copenhagen.

Kasper Hjulmand (right) and his men are on a mission to win the trophy for their missing hero, who is battling to save his career. Southgate knows his players will have to handle the occasion and has urged them to keep calm.

He said: “We talk about perspective in sport but we rarely have it. This was a moment that brought it home for all of us.

“I can imagine what it has done for the Danish team and their bond.

“We are talking about the things we have been through but what they went through that day – the way their captain was and the way the group was – and how that would have connected with their supporters, that’s pretty powerful. They are riding a wave of emotion for certain and that’s a powerful force that’s coming to Wembley.

“Those things definitely have an impact on your thinking. We talk about pressure a lot and lose perspective of what that might be when we play sport.

“But I know our players are at their best when they are calm, playing another game and the thinking process is really clear.

“Clearing that clutter away and clearing that noise away ahead of this next game is a crucial part of our preparation.”