‘We’ve got to be ready for however long it takes’: Gareth Southgate insists his England side are preparing for the long haul against Italy in the Euro 2020 final despite having less time to recover than Roberto Mancini’s men
On the eve of the Euro 2020 final, Gareth Southgate has insisted his England troops but must physically and mentally prepared for at least 120 minutes of high pressure football.
England meet Roberto Mancini’s Italy on Sunday evening inside Wembley stadium, bidding to win the nation’s first piece of international silverware for 55 years.
And Southgate has stressed how important it is that his team – who have had one day fewer than their Italian counterparts to prepare – are ready for another long evening under the famous arch.
Gareth Southgate was joined by captain Harry Kane in the last press conference before England take on Italy in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley
Speaking in his last press conference before the final, Southgate said: ‘The start is important but the game could be 95 minutes, could be 120 minutes, we’ve got to be ready for however long it takes.’
‘It’s important, we’ve talked to the players about the important of discipline on the field, staying calm if we concede.
‘We knew we wouldn’t go the whole tournament without conceding. The players know that the atmosphere around you can be intense but you’ve got to keep your focus on the parts you can control, and not be distracted by things.
Southgate has been busy galvanising his troops and preparing them to go the distance again
The England boss praised several of his stars for being able to adapt during the tournament
‘We’ve got a lot of leaders who are growing in the group. Their voices before and during games are really important.’
‘I think there are benefits to having experience in big matches and sometimes there are benefits for it being fresh and new.
‘Declan [Rice] and Kalvin [Phillips] have adapted so well to that challenge. We’ve got trust in all of our players. In any situation we’d be happy putting any of them into it.
‘We’ve had some senior players coming back from injury that have contributed,’ he added.
Southgate was joined by England captain Harry Kane in the press conference, who admitted that his job has been made much easier during the tournament due to the many strong personalities within the camp.
England skipper Harry Kane says his job has been made much easier because of strong leaders
Kane said: ‘That’s a massive strength of ours. As the captain it’s made easier when you have those leaders around you.
‘We have many voices and that’s a huge part of a successful team. We wouldn’t be where we are without all those players.
‘Every big game that you play you want as much experience as possible. It’s going to play an important role tomorrow and in the future of the team as well.’