‘We showed a great team spirit’
England forward Raheem Sterling said they showed a great team spirit to come from a goal behind to beat Denmark 2-1 in their Euro 2020 semi-final on Wednesday, and insisted the focus has shifted straight away to Sunday's final against Italy.
Mikkel Damsgaard gave Denmark a first-half lead at Wembley, but Harry Kane's finish on the rebound after his extra-time penalty was saved completed the turnaround for England, to earn them a first-ever European Championship final place.
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"It was a top performance," Sterling said. "We had to dig deep, it was the first time we had conceded in the tournament, we regrouped well and showed a great team spirit to win the game.
"We just had to stay patient. We knew that with the aggression we had in the team, the pace, the power, it was a matter of time before we brought them down and we got the penalty in the end.
"It is another step in the right direction. Once we stepped into the dressing room, that is it, over, and we focus on the weekend. Step by step, that's how we do it."
There was some controversy over the decision to award England a penalty for a foul on Sterling, but the Manchester City forward felt the referee made the right call.
"I went into the box, he stuck his right leg out, and he touched my leg so it was a penalty," Sterling added.
"For once it fell our way today. Credit to the boys, what a performance. After going 1-0 down, we responded really well. We controlled the game. ... Obviously it wasn't the penalty I wanted to execute, it went lower than I thought but it bounced back to me ... It's one of the proudest moment of my life for sure. But we haven't won it yet, we've got one more game to go," said Kane.
"I'm so proud of the players. It was an incredible occasion to be part of. We knew it wouldn't be straight-forward. We said to the player we''re going to have to at some point come back from setbacks ... the most pleasing thing is we've given our fans and our nation a fantastic night and the journey carries on for another four days ... There's one more massive hurdle to try to conquer. [Italy] are a very good side. They've shown outstanding form and have defensive warriors at the back who have been through everything. It's something to look forward to. ... Finals are to be won," said Southgate.
Asked about the penalty decision, he said: "I honestly haven't seen it again but I thought Raheem was a real thorn in their side all night."
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