GARETH Southgate says England are determined to make Sunday's shot at history count as they look to lift the European Championship trophy three years after having to walk past it.
A summer that started with underwhelming performances and grumbles from fans and pundits alike ends in Berlin with just a third ever major men's final appearance.
Spain stand in their way of becoming kings of the continent for the first time, having lost their first European final in heartbreaking fashion against Italy at Wembley in 2021.
Southgate's side return to that stage 1,099 days on from that Euro 2020 shoot-out loss ready to grasp their opportunity to make history against Spain at the cavernous Olympiastadion.
"They're excellent, I have a lot of admiration for them," he said of Sunday's opponents, as reported by England Football.
"They've been excellent with the ball and without the ball, they work as a team and without doubt deserve to be in the final.
"But we have to hope we are rising to the occasion each time. There's no we've question improved with the ball and we needed to.
"We were inhibited at the start of the tournament and we've been freer in the last few games.
"We've shown great resilience in coming through a difficult period where people doubted us.
"I'm very proud of the players and now we have a history-making possibility rather than a fear. It's a different mindset.
"I do think we feel different to 2021. To qualify for a first final in 50 years was a huge landmark at home and it took a lot emotionally from us.
This story is from the July 14, 2024 edition of MEN on Sunday.
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This story is from the July 14, 2024 edition of MEN on Sunday.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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