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Harry Kane ‘speechless’ and Declan Rice has goosebumps as England fans go berserk singing ‘Three Lions’ and ‘Sweet Caroline’, while dreaming of Euro 2020 glory after historic win over Germany
There are going to be many sore heads this morning.
England sent the nation wild by beating Germany 2-0 after years of hurt at their hands, avenging Euro '96 and sparking very real hopes of a first major tournament win since 1966.
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On a magical evening, Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane struck inside the last 15 minutes, either side of a horrible miss from Thomas Muller, to ignite delirium at Wembley and across the country.
'Three Lions' rang around the ground, just like it did 25 years ago, and the players soaked in the occasion as the crowd belted out 'Sweet Caroline', in scenes surely replicated up and down the land.
Manager Gareth Southgate was pleased to have the fans behind the team in the stadium and was delighted to send them home happy.
"They were behind every challenge, they were behind every time we pressed the ball, they were behind every run we had and the energy was incredible in the stadium.
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"So, to be able to send them home feeling as they do tonight, to hear them at the end… I mean, you can't beat a bit of 'Sweet Caroline', can you? That's a belter, really.
"But to know that so many millions of people after such a difficult year at home can have that enjoyment that I know we'd have given them today is very special."
For captain Kane, who finally opened his account at the tournament by heading home Jack Grealish's cross, it was the most special moment of his career.
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The Tottenham striker told talkSPORT: "It's hard to sum up. I was speechless after the game. It's just an incredible day for us as a team and us as a nation.
"It's been a tough time for everyone, the last 18 months, so to know that we put a smile on quite a few faces today is special.
"It's a day we'll never forget, but also we're a group with big expectations and big visions, so we can't get too carried away."
Asked if he has ever felt anything like that in football, he added: "No! That moment, scoring, seeing the fans, seeing my friends and family, it's just what you dream about when you're a kid. Playing in an England shirt at Wembley in a knockout game against a team like Germany.
"When that ball hit the back of the net, it was special."
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England midfielder Declan Rice echoed those thoughts, celebrating the slice of history he created alongside his young teammates.
Rice told talkSPORT: "I'm ecstatic, everything we've worked towards this week, to a man we were outstanding.
"We were never coming off that pitch today without winning this game of football, no way. We weren't going home tonight.
"That mentality, that desire, that togetherness we've got is really special and we're going to keep pushing on.
"Everyone was so good today, I can't talk highly enough. We've just created a bit of history."
Suddenly, that drab 0-0 draw with Scotland feels like a different year, but Rice hasn't forgotten about England's critics.
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"So many people wrote us off after the Scotland game," he said. "Everyone was saying, 'England can't go anywhere, they've not scored enough goals'.
"As players you park those comments in the back of your mind and you want to prove people wrong.
"We've not conceded a goal yet. We're fighting and we'll keep trying to get to the final."
To get there, England will need to beat either Sweden or Ukraine in the quarter-finals on Saturday, then the Czech Republic or Denmark in the semi-finals.
And the prospect of a first triumph since 1966 gets Rice all tingly.
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"It gives me goosebumps [thinking about winning it]," he said.
"We want to do that and become the first team since 1966. We know we've got the quality in the changing room. To a man, we know we can beat anyone on our day."
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