Bond of brothers
to achieve that, and it makes us even prouder.
“When you go through a battle like that, it gives you so much energy and belief to go and do it again. There is definitely a hunger because of the other night.
“We are just like a family. We’ve spent a lot of time together and we all get on very well. I look at them as my brothers, and they do the same.
“I spoke about the togetherness and trust before the tournament, but we want to prove it on the pitch and show we can do that. We have done that so far.”
England have ripped up the World Cup record books in Russia. They have won their first penalty shoot-out, secured their first knockout win since 2006 and scored their most goals in a game – six against Panama. But Southgate wants them to continue rewriting history.
He said: “We came into this tournament as the least experienced team, one of the youngest teams in it.
“But we are an improving side who want to make our own history.
“It’s not since 1990 that we’ve been in a World Cup semi-final.
“We are hugely ambitious and want to do that, but there’s nothing more in our mind than this game.”
It emerged last night that Dele Alli is still struggling with a thigh injury and Southgate is poised to start shoot-out hero Eric Dier instead.
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