England team ‘have created their own history’, says Gareth Southgate

• Manager hails players after shootout win over Colombia
• ‘We always have to believe in what is possible in life’

Gareth Southgate praised his young team for creating “their own history” after England triumphed in a penalty shootout for the first time at the World Cup and secured passage into a quarter-final against Sweden on Saturday at the expense of Colombia.

Jordan Pickford’s stunning left-handed save denied Carlos Bacca’s fifth attempt in the penalties – the first an England goalkeeper has mustered in a shootout since David Seaman in 1998 – with Eric Dier earning England a first knockout success in 12 years by converting his side’s last spot-kick. Sweden await in Samara but the tournament’s least experienced side will travel south with confidence considerably bolstered.

Continue reading...