Stones hopes late drama was ‘turning point’ for England

John Stones admits he thought England were heading home from Euro 2024 against Slovakia, but hopes the dramatic win is the turning point in their campaign.

The 30-year-old won his 76th cap in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday as England snatched a 95th minute equaliser against the side ranked 45th in the world, before progressing to the quarter-finals via a 2-1 win after extra-time.

“The biggest thrill that I can get out of playing is that winning feeling. To create history for us a nation” 🙌

John Stones is hungry for Euro success! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/8BSvEQa96V

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) July 4, 2024

Going home not coming home

Gareth Southgate’s side turned in another below-par performance, having failed to shine in their Group C campaign against Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia too.

“I thought we were going home after 60 minutes,” Stones admitted. “It’s only human to have those thoughts.

“I think it’s a turning point for us, emotionally, to do it in such a high pressured moment. I believe it’s going to change a lot of things for us as a team – going through those emotions.

“It shows that unity and togetherness of us. When you have done these things you believe even more – we can recapture those moments.”

The Man City defender said Jude Bellingham’s last-ditch goal not only sends a message to the squad, but also others in the tournament.

“To change our mindset and keep the belief has a lot of power behind it – for ourselves and other teams.

“We are there to do it right until the last minute – literally. We should take great confidence from that as it’s not easy to do in a high-pressured game.”

Fans frustration

Stones admitted ‘understandably the fans weren’t happy with the performance’ but said they had enjoyed some leisure time with families before hitting the training pitch, adding: “We have worked on a few things, trying to get back to that fluid, exciting football, creating…

Source link : https://www.101greatgoals.com/news/euro-2024-stones-hopes-late-drama-was-turning-point-for-england/

Author : Alex Hoad

Publish date : 2024-07-04 15:31:32

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