Euro 2024 final: Gareth Southgate says England reaching finals ...

Published 13/07/2024 at 10:02 GMT

Gareth Southgate says England are starting to feel more at home at major tournament finals ahead of the Euro 2024 decider against Spain.

The Three Lions beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the semi-final on Wednesday to advance to their second straight European Championship final.

England fell at the final hurdle against Italy at the delayed Euros in 2021, with Southgate’s side losing 3-2 on penalties after the two sides were locked at 1-1 after extra time.

Southgate said reaching this year’s final has a “different feel” to the one in 2021 as England hope to go one better on Sunday and claim their first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup.

“We're now in a different moment as a team, two tournaments on and a lot more big match experience," Southgate told the BBC.

"I guess there was less of a celebration, perhaps less satisfaction at reaching a final.

"I wouldn't say it becomes run of the mill but it's a little bit more normal for us. That statement in itself is probably a bit ridiculous given our history."

He said getting the win in Sunday’s final now feels all the more important, adding that England will have to be “tactically close to perfect” to beat Spain, who are “excellent with and without the ball”.

"Yeah, we needed to win the last one. We didn’t. What we do know is that in the end, how we’ll be viewed by others will be determined by the result on Sunday," he continued.

"I’ve got to keep a professional focus. A bit of detachment from the enormity of the occasion, if you like. It would be easy to be overwhelmed by that."

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Southgate, who rose to the top job in 2016 after serving as the Football Association’s head of elite development and England's under-21 manager, said his experience in the national environment has given him an appreciation for what it means for England to perform well at the world stage.

"What that journey's taught me is what it means to English football really to have credibility on the European and world stage.

"I know what it means to people working at every level from youth development all the way through to senior football."

The 53-year-old has led England to the semi-final or better at three of four major tournaments since he replaced Sam Allardyce as manager in 2016.

Southgate, whose contract with England is set to expire in December, said he hasn’t put much thought into his future, with the Euros firmly in his mind.

"Emotionally it would be impossible for me to make a logical decision at the moment on any of that because my sole focus for two years has been winning this tournament.

"The last five or six weeks have been an absolute rollercoaster, so I don't really know where I am with anything other than very focused on preparing the team for this game and determined to keep leading them in the way we have over the last month."

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