NATIONS LEAGUE GROUP A4
GARETH Southgate was immensely proud after England rounded off a year to remember by sealing progress to the inaugural Nations League Finals with a stirring comeback against World Cup semi-final foes Croatia.
The winner-takes-all clash at Wembley looked to be going the same way as July’s encounter in Moscow, with the Three Lions’ lack of cutting edge giving Zlatko Dalic’s men hope as the match wore on.
Andrej Kramaric’s deflected second-half strike for Croatia rocked England, yet Southgate turned to the bench and his group dug deep.
Sub Jesse Lingard levelled from close range 12 minutes from time before captain Harry Kane stretched to turn home Ben Chilwell’s freekick in the 85th minute.
Victory sent Wembley wild and England into the Nations League Finals next year – having this year reached only their third World Cup semifinal ever.
Asked if he could have envisaged 2018 panning out so well, England manager Southgate said: “No, I don’t think so. I am hugely proud of all the players and all of the staff because we’ve grown together, we’ve improved every step.
“I think today was another big occasion, big experience. Plenty of pressure on the game, expectation, but they coped with it really well. “I thought we played so well in the first half and had good chances, should have been ahead in the game. Then had to show another side, the resilience and the character to stay in it.
“We had a five, 10-minute period after Croatia scored where there was a couple of counter-attacks, and then we may be a new England but we score from a long throw and a wide free-kick, so maybe nothing changes!
“But the most pleasing thing of all for me is the connection with the fans because I’ve not heard Wembley like that for years.
“We’ve given our