Gareth Southgate admitted he considered subbing Jude Bellingham but the midfielder saved England from injury time with a bicycle kick in injury time The knockout goal that Harry Kane called one of the best in the country’s history.
Southgate also considered replacing Kane before the captain’s extra-time winner in the tense last 16 tie against heartbreak Slovakia, but before Bellingham changed the situation with a stunning equalizer Gate suffered an embarrassing defeat.
England struggled for a long time and deservedly fell behind to Ivan Schranz’s sharp goal in the 25th minute. Southgate’s reign was coming to an end – until Kyle Walker’s long-range effort headed home Mark Gay and Bellingham produced a moment of genius to set up England’s clash with Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday. The Swiss team reached the quarter-finals.
Southgate said: “The two players who scored, you could say you could have taken off 15 minutes before the end because they watched their feet, but that’s what they are capable of. “Harry and Jude , you’re looking and thinking, ‘Should we update these positions? ‘ But you know they’re capable of doing what they do.
“When people want changes, you have to keep the balance of the team and do things that you think will definitely improve. I think almost all the changes we made in this tournament have had an impact.
Bellingham shouted: “Who else?” after his goal. When asked who wrote his script, he replied: “It was me.” He went on to say that his goal meant the team would not face criticism for going out. “You have 30 seconds to go home and have to listen to trash talk and feel like you’ve let people down,” the 21-year-old said.
Southgate, who will be without Guy Guy due to suspension against Switzerland, smiled when told of Bellingham’s comments. “I understand his world better than most people,” he said. “His world is different to almost any other 21-year-old in the world. He’s still a young man and he’s going to react to things like a young man, but he provides moments that can change the game.
Kane also praised Bellingham’s impact. “This is the wish of the players, the staff and everyone involved,” the striker told ITV. “We kept going. We put in a long time a few days ago and we said we might need it. And then Jude did what Jude did – it was an unbelievable goal. This is our country One of the best in history.
Southgate said he was not thinking about showing dignity in defeat as the game entered stoppage time. He admitted England needed to improve against Switzerland but was full of praise for the team’s spirit.
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The 53-year-old, who was once attacked with terse chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing”, gambled with his substitutions and was rewarded by bringing on Ivan Toney in the 94th minute . Toney went on to score for Kane, prompting Southgate to talk about England winning the 1966 World Cup.
“I know Ivan Toney was uncomfortable asking me to put him on, but I said to him: ‘Now might be the time.'” We show the players what it was like in 1966, and what it was like for Jeff Hurst (Geoff Hurst) Not playing until the quarterfinals, it was a tough line for the team to go through. The players who have joined the team are ready and training well.
“I can learn from his [Toney’s] Face, I can understand that; I brought him on with a minute left in the game and any player would be thinking: “I’ve been in the game and you’re not using me.” But I said there might be a moment where I think His presence will unsettle them a bit and he was very smart in the second goal. I think he has almost forgiven me now. As far as ’66 goes, we just want to emphasize that championships take you into unfamiliar places and difficult routes.
