Gareth Southgate insists he had “a funny feeling” that England would pull off a great escape moments before Jude Bellingham’s 95th minute overhead kick against Slovakia tonight.
Bellingham’s wonder-goal was followed by a Harry Kane header early in extra time as England avoided a humiliating Euro 2024 upset and set up a quarter-final with Switzerland on Saturday.
It also ensured Southgate remains in his job for another week at least, and the Three Lions manager revealed he had resisted the temptation to substitute his match winners.
“With 15 mins to go he [Bellingham] is out on his feet and you’re wondering whether to take him off. But he and Kane produce those moments and that’s why sometimes you don’t make those changes when people are clamouring for them,” he said.
“I had a funny feeling that the game wasn’t dead. That might sound ridiculous but we were pushing and probing. For a young team at the end they were very patient. Trying to create the right opportunity rather than just throw one in the box.
“Ultimately it’s one we’ve thrown in the box that’s got us the result but the squad has shown its togetherness. That’s why they’ve got a chance – they’re still fighting and together. We haven’t come to get to a quarter-final but to get through a night like tonight was fantastic character.”
England were 90 seconds away from an ignominious major tournament exit to rank alongside their 2016 defeat by Iceland when Bellingham produced his moment of magic.
Instead they are into the last eight of a fourth finals in a row under Southgate, who lives to fight another day in what seems increasingly likely to be his final competition in charge.
For all of the euphoria of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, England still face huge questions of selection and tactics if they are to progress any further.
Centre-back Marc Guehi, himself the stand-in for an unfit Harry Maguire but one of England’s best performers at Euro 2024, will miss the quarter-final after collecting a second booking
Left-back Kieran Trippier is an injury doubt after limping off in the 66th minute and Luke Shaw, the man he has been covering for, has not yet been fit enough to play a single minute.
On top of all that, Southgate appears no nearer to knowing his best team four games into this tournament, but something must surely change against Switzerland after this near miss.
Slovakia’s press had already unsettled England when Guehi and John Stones went for the same ball, David Strelec fed Ivan Schranz and he poked past Jordan Pickford on 25 minutes.
Phil Foden thought he had equalised just after half-time but was offside when tapping in from Trippier, who departed soon after and forced Southgate into a tactical rethink.
Kane headed wide from point-blank range and Declan Rice hit the post from distance as England pressed but it wasn’t until the 95th minute that an equaliser finally came.
Kyle Walker launched a long throw into the box, Guehi flicked it on and Bellingham, so often Real Madrid’s hero last season, quickly readjusted to scissor kick past Martin Dubravka.
Less than 60 seconds after play resumed in extra time England struck again, this time substitute Ivan Toney heading across goal for Kane to nod into a mostly unguarded net.
Kane called Bellingham’s goal “one of the best in our country’s history. What a player he is. He works so hard for the team. There’s been a lot of talk about him in the last couple of days and it shows what he can do in the big moments.”
Bellingham said: “I know what I can deliver in those moments. Regardless of what people say, I’ve done it this year for Madrid, I’ve done it for England before. We’ve won this game together. Not me, not Harry, not the individual moments.”