Expectation has weighed heavily - Southgate

England leader Gareth Southgate admits "the sound had ne'er been louder" astatine nan commencement of Euro 2024 but says his broadside are now fresh to make "history" arsenic they hole for a semi-final against nan Netherlands.

Southgate said his squad - who won 1 and drew 2 of their group shape games earlier narrowly beating Slovakia and past edging past Switzerland connected penalties successful nan knock-outs - "couldn't rather get ourselves successful nan correct place".

"One of our strengths complete nan years has been having little fear, showing little inhibition," he said.

"But astatine nan opening of nan tourney nan anticipation weighed heavy and nan sound from extracurricular had ne'er been louder."

Captain Harry Kane said nan squad "use past experiences to help" erstwhile they attack "tough" games for illustration Wednesday's semi-final (20:00 BST).

"I conscionable deliberation during nan crippled you thin connected experience, nan leaders who person been location and done that," Kane said. "Ultimately it's astir going retired location and taking nan opportunity pinch some hands.

"Reaching back-to-back European Championship finals would beryllium an astonishing accomplishment and we person nan opportunity to spell and do that."

The winners of Wednesday's semi-final will play Spain connected Sunday aft their 2-1 triumph complete France connected Tuesday.

England were beaten by Italy connected penalties successful nan Euro 2020 final, reached nan 2018 World Cup semi-finals and were knocked retired by France successful nan quarter-finals of nan 2022 World Cup.

While Kane conceded that "as we've been getting amended nan anticipation gets higher", he said nan added unit tin sometimes springiness players a boost.

He added: "Some will usage it successful different ways, immoderate will usage it arsenic motivation, immoderate will conscionable artifact it retired and attraction connected what they request to do. Everyone's different.

"From a squad constituent of position we cognize what we request to achieve. We person a really important game, a really reliable crippled we request to beryllium fresh for. We've prepared for that."

The Netherlands' presence to Dortmund was "significantly delayed" aft their train was cancelled and they had to alert from Wolfsburg, pinch their pre-match news convention being cancelled.

Southgate has often near it until precocious into games to make substitutions - isolated from immoderate made astatine half-time - but he said changes are "not pre-conditioned" and dangle connected nan game.

"You are ever looking astatine nan freshness of nan squad and nan equilibrium of nan squad and whether changes are going to make an betterment to nan squad aliases not," he said.

"The crippled will return america successful a definite guidance that will make that determination for us."

Defender Luke Shaw made his first quality from nan chair successful nan triumph against Switzerland aft returning from injury, but Southgate did not shed immoderate much ray connected whether he will commencement Wednesday's game.

The head said they "have to decide" if Shaw, who had been injured for 4 months, is "ready to start".

Southgate besides dismissed concerns complete a German referee erstwhile criticised complete his match-fixing past by Jude Bellingham officiating nan game.

Bellingham, past playing for Borussia Dortmund, was fined 40,000 euros (£34,000) successful 2021 for referencing Felix Zwayer's erstwhile six-month prohibition for lucifer fixing.

Southgate added: "I person nary concerns astir who nan referee is, he will beryllium astatine a very precocious modular because that is really Uefa make those decisions. It's not moreover a consideration."