SOUTHGATE: MY ENGLAND BOYS CAN BRING THE NATION TOGETHER

GARETH SOUTHGATE believes his heroes have the power to unite England by securing a place in the World Cup final. Ahead of this evening’s semifinal against Croatia, Southgate urged everyone to put differences to one side to cheer his side into what would be a first World Cup final in 52 years. ‘Our country has had a long time of suffering in terms of football, the enthusiasm the supporters have for these players, not only because of the way they’ve played but how they’ve conducted themselves (has been great),’ said the England boss. ‘Our country has been through some difficult moments recently in terms of its unity, but sport can unite. Football can unite. We can feel the energy and support from home, and that’s a privilege.’ Midfielder Jordan Henderson added: ‘It’s a special feeling to know people back home and here are enjoying the experience as much as we are. All the celebrations inspire us as players to bring the nation together and put smiles on people’s faces. That’s the biggest thing so far. We want to continue doing everybody proud.’ As Sportsmail reported yesterday, Southgate is set to name an unchanged side for the third consecutive game. Southgate’s youthful side have become one of the stories of the tournament, reaching the semi-finals with a fresh and stylish philosophy that bodes well for the future. And no matter what happens tonight, Southgate insists their World Cup run is merely the beginning of what he believes will be a fruitful legacy. ‘I’ve been involved in all the plans through the age groups,’ added Southgate. ‘To have seen our younger teams have success is hugely rewarding. We know our academies are producing technically good players. ‘We made a lot of changes with the national teams but lots of changes that helped us to be successful. We believe we have to continue doing that, constantly evolve and improve. This team, the same. The experiences of the last few weeks, the milestones they’ve hit, are a great reference point moving forward. ‘We have players in this squad who will take us forward and others coming through the age groups with belief they can win but also expectations that we should be in latter stages more regularly.’