England yet to conquer 'Everest', says Southgate

July 2, 2021 England manager Gareth Southgate during the press conference UEFA via REUTERS

England manager Gareth Southgate has urged his players to play without fear when they take on Ukraine in the European Championship quarter-final on Saturday.

Southgate emphasised the need for his players to refocus after eliminating Germany with a 2-0 win at Wembley in the last-16, while warning his side to not to look too far ahead and underestimate their underdog opponents.

"We've achieved one challenge but that's not the Everest we set ourselves," Southgate said. "We want to push on."

"It's another chance for the team to make history. We've moved on from Germany pretty quickly and it's not easy because you get all these lovely messages. But the mindset has got to be about Saturday. Not beyond Saturday."

"We're not complacent. We've got to stay composed, but not fearful. We've got to be on the front foot. We've got to take the next step forward."

England face Ukraine at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, having played their first four games on home turf. The winner will take on either the Czech Republic or Denmark, who play earlier on Saturday, in the semi-final.