England followers inside Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen overjoyed
Jubilant England fans praised Harry Kane and his Three Lions for the incredible comeback which saw the team into the quarter finals.
The England captain’s extra time header ensured the team defeated Slovakia after Jude Bellingham equalised late in normal time.
Rob Oliver, 36, a product designer from Kingsbury, London, said he and many fans with him had given up and mourning what they thought would be a dismal defeat.
Mr Oliver, who is based in America and flew into support England, said: ‘We were seconds from losing and saying goodbye to Gareth Southgate the coach.
‘We thought it was all over! There was a lot of anger around me towards Gareth Southgate. Then the boys turned it around in a couple of magical moments.
‘It hasn’t been cheap coming here with the air tickets, hotels and everything else. But I will never be able to put a price on seeing Kane score that header. ‘
Jubilant England fans praised Harry Kane and his Three Lions tonight. Pictured: Brad Whitman, Phoenix Whitman, Ashley Davies
Rob Oliver (pictured) a product designer from Kingsbury, London , said he and many fans with him had given up and mourning what they thought would be a dismal defeat
Fans were fearing that England could be knocked out of the Euros until Jude Bellingham scored with seconds to spare. Pictured: Mandy Kane and on right Helen George
Builder Brad Whitman, 48, from Southampton said: ‘I am here with my son Phoenix and we have to fly home.
‘But we will be aiming to be back here on Saturday to see England in the quarterfinals.
‘It is an incredible feeling to see England win when everything was stacked against them. They just couldn’t find a way through for more than 90 minutes. But we made it eventually.’
Mandy Kane, 41, from Blackburn who has travelled the world watching England and was wearing the team’s shirt, said: ‘ I reckon every England fan back home would have wanted to be here tonight.
‘It was such a buzz. We didn’t give up on the team at all, but most of the England fans thought time was running out when the clock said 90 minutes had passed.’
Her friend Helen George, 45, added: ‘I am so lucky to have been here tonight. The fact that we were nearly out and we won is incredible. ‘
Ashley Davies, a builder from Southampton, said: ‘I am hoarse from cheering on the team. We really got behind them. We believed and they delivered.’
James Coton (pictured) said ‘England fans or one big family. We win together and we lose together’
England manager Gareth Southgate and captain Harry Kane embrace following the win
Bellingham’s incredible over the head kick leveled the game 1-1 within seconds remaining.
James Coton, 36, an investment banker from Birmingham, said: ‘I’m glad that the country has got something to celebrate together.
‘England fans or one big family. We win together and we lose together. That includes the players and the coach.
‘I feel really sorry for Southgate when the fans booed his name at the beginning and then whenever his face appeared on the screen.
‘But everybody loves him now. He’s just got to keep the tactics positive against Switzerland we can go all the way. It could be coming home.’
Three Lions supporters were treated to the team’s most exciting game of the Euros 2024 journey so far.
Jude Bellingham saved the game with an acrobatic overhead kick that levelled the last 16 game to 1-1 with seconds remaining.
Then within the first minute of extra time Harry Kane headed the winning goal in what will become known as one of the biggest shocks in the Euros history.
It had been a nail-biting game, with Slovakia leading 1-0 for the majority of the game – leaving many England fans sulking in their armchairs or for those in Germany, covering their eyes at the Veltins Arena.
An England fan celebrates in the crowd after the Three Lions secured their place in the quarter finals
Huge cheers from the crowd at the England Slovakia clash after Bellingham scored the match-saving goal
Goal scorers Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane beam after their Euros clash against Slovakia which placed England into the quarter-finals
‘We know we will do whatever it takes,’ England captain Kane said after the game. ‘We have another game like this in the quarter-finals then so be it. This team knows how to dig deep, that’s exactly what we done today.
‘Of course we could have been better, we could have played better but ultimately it’s a results business and that’s what we care about. We can enjoy this, we can enjoy the comeback and hopefully take that moment into the rest of the tournament.’
Star of the match Bellingham said that his goal was one of the most important moments in his career to date.
‘I think it was 20 seconds until we were out of the European Championship,’ he told reporters. ‘It’s hard to deny that it was one of the most important moments of my career so far.’
Bellingham’s teammates all agreed with Kane gushing that it will go down as one of England’s best goals in history.
England fans celebrate after Jude Bellingham scores their first goal as they watch the match at BoxPark Wembley
‘Then Jude does what Jude does, it was an unbelievable goal and it kept our tournament alive,’ Kane said. ‘I think it’s one of the best goals in our country’s history. What a player he is. He works so hard for the team.
‘There’s been a lot of talk about him in the last couple of days and it shows what he can do in the big moments, to step up and that’s what we needed everyone to do, to step up.
‘We know we’ll do whatever it takes. If it’s another game like this in the quarter-finals, so be it. This team knows how to dig deep and we’ve done that today. Of course we could have done better but ultimately it’s a results business.
‘We’ll enjoy the comeback and hopefully take the momentum into the rest of the tournament.’
