Gareth Southgate is desperate for his England team to show they have improved since the group stages.

They finished at the top of Group C but were nowhere near their best, stumbling over the line against Serbia before being held to draws by Denmark and Slovenia.

Speaking in yesterday’s press conference, Southgate said: “The fact is you go into a different mental state [in the knockout stage]. Everybody knows that knockout football is jeopardy.

“Everybody knows that on a given day, an opponent can make it really tough for you. You know the quality of the opposition left is high and so it changes the mindset. We are trying to achieve something exceptional.

“It is a step at a time and tomorrow is a chance to improve aspects of our game, to show composure in moments. The game will take us in different directions at different moments and you’ve got to be able to respond and react in the right way in all of those moments.

“We have thrived in those challenges in the past and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”