Southgate “Not ready to go home” following England’s dramatic late-round Euro performance

Speaking on Sunday, Gareth Southgate expressed his lack of readiness for England’s loss from the Euro 2024 competition following Jude Bellingham’s last-minute heroics that barely kept England in the game.

In the closing seconds, Bellingham’s incredible bicycle kick saved Southgate and his teammates from a painful last-16 exit in Gelsenkirchen, where England trailed Slovakia by a goal.

Then, early in extra time, Harry Kane made an appearance with his signature header to deliver an inadequate England team a hard-fought win.

“We knew that one goal would change the whole atmosphere in the ground. I believed that we could get that goal but I didn’t think it would be as late as it was,” Southgate told reporters.

“It was a night where I wasn’t prepared, I wasn’t ready to go home and clearly the players felt the same.”

Southgate praised Kane and Bellingham, who have scored all four of England’s goals between them, for winning the match despite showing clear signs of exhaustion.

“They’re two players who you could have arguably taken off with fifteen minutes to go, they’re out on their feet physically,” added Southgate.

“But that’s what they’re capable of and that’s why we stuck with them.”

England will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals in Duesseldorf next weekend after turning Sunday’s match around at the last.