England have 'come a long way' since 2018 World Cup heartbreak

Gareth Southgate’s men ended their semi-final curse last night and are now one step away from achieving continental glory.

England have taken “big steps” since their elimination from the 2018 World Cup, insists Kieran Trippier.

Trippier had put England on the front foot within just five minutes of kick-off with a stunning free-kick from 20 yards out. Their one-goal lead remained intact until deep into the second half, and the English fans were upbeat about the team making it to the final of the World Cup in Russia.

However, Croatia inflicted upon England their third successive major tournament semi-final defeat by turning the tie on its head and snatching a 2-1 win.

“[That] is a game we’ve forgotten about, we’ve come a long way since the semi-final in Russia,” Trippier said, recalling the heart-breaking game, per The Guardian.

“We’ve got so many good players now, different players from back then.

“It’s about progressing, and I think we’ve made big steps since the World Cup. As you’ve seen from the start of the tournament to now, we give everything, we don’t stop, we don’t panic, we’re calm. The togetherness in the team is incredible.

“It’s all about experience and game management. We’ve learned so much over the years with the experiences we’ve had, we’ve been in two penalty shootouts since Russia, we’ve been to extra time. Going through that moment against Croatia was about learning.”