Gareth Southgate says England are determined to make Sunday’s shot at history count as they look to lift the European Championship trophy three years after having to walk past it.
A summer that started with underwhelming performances and grumbles from fans and pundits alike ends in Berlin with just a third ever major men’s final appearance.
Spain stand in their way of becoming kings of the continent for the first time, having lost their first European final in heartbreaking fashion against Italy at Wembley in 2021.
Southgate’s side return to that stage 1,099 days on from that Euro 2020 shootout loss ready to grasp their opportunity to make history against Spain at the cavernous Olympiastadion.
“They’re excellent, I have a lot of admiration for them,” he told England Football, the team’s official website.
“They’ve been excellent with the ball and without the ball, they work as a team and without doubt deserve to be in the final.
“But we have to hope we are rising to the occasion each time. There’s no question we’ve improved with the ball and we needed to.
“We were inhibited at the start of the tournament and we’ve been freer in the last few games.
“We’ve shown great resilience in coming through a difficult period where people doubted us.
“I’m very proud of the players and now we have a history-making possibility rather than a fear. It’s a different mindset.
“I do think we feel different to 2021. To qualify for a first final in 50 years was a huge landmark at home and it took a lot emotionally from us.
“This semi-final took a lot of emotion but there’s a real desire to make this count having walked past that trophy the last time.”
Southgate’s side would join Sir Alf Ramsey’s 1966 World Cup heroes as the only England teams to win a major men’s trophy in what could be the manager’s 102nd and last match in charge.
The former defender’s contract expires later this year and he said in the build-up it would be impossible to make a “logical” decision on his future with Euros glory in sight.
Asked about his legacy as England manager, Southgate said: “I will think about that with time as I reflect on everything.
“At the moment all I’m thinking about is how we prepare for this final.
“It’s a great challenge, we play an excellent team and we’ve got to be in the best possible space to win the game.”
Southgate has spoken about the need to be “exceptional” in and out of possession against Spain, admitting they need to be tactically “perfect” to overcome the team of the tournament.
“We’d be bringing happiness to our nation, bringing credibility,” the England boss said of what winning Euro 2024 would mean.
“I think we’ve brought credibility back to English football in terms of how we’re viewed around the world in recent years.
“To win a trophy would ultimately answer a lot of the questions that are still posed.
“For the group of players and staff, and also the players who have been with us for the past six or seven years, I’d be hugely proud of them.
“There are a lot of people who haven’t got enough credit and that would all come together in my head.”
England reached Sunday’s showpiece with their latest late, late show against the Netherlands in Wednesday’s Signal Iduna Park semi-final.
Jude Bellingham’s jaw-dropping overhead kick saved the day and sparked an extra-time win against Slovakia in the round of 16, before going on to beat Switzerland on spot-kicks last weekend.
Super sub Ollie Watkins was the semi-final hero in Dortmund, scoring a 90th-minute winner to spark wild celebrations that saw an emotional Southgate scream “one more”.
“I was just thinking, ‘what a night’,” he said when reflecting on defeating the Dutch. “It was a really complicated game on the back of a very complicated tournament for us.
“But ultimately we’re still in the competition and where we wanted to be when we arrived here.
“If I wasn’t here managing the team I would be at home supporting the team. I am a fan in the dugout and I’ve always wanted England to be successful.
“My early memories of England are watching them in tournaments.
“For those fans who have spent fortunes and travelled hours, yeah, it was lovely to be able to share that moment with them in the stadium.”
All 26 players trained on the eve of the final, including captain Harry Kane despite taking a blow to the foot when winning the penalty he converted to equalise against the Dutch.
The Bayern Munich sharpshooter has had a quiet tournament but is joint top scorer on three goals and has impressed Southgate with his leadership.
“He’s grown hugely into that role,” the England boss added. “In the last few weeks he’s been particularly outstanding, recognising more than ever the value of the group.
“Giving himself up for others, good messages to the team at the right moments, before games, after games, around the training pitch.
“We’ve lost a couple of experienced leaders from the group with injuries, Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire, for example. Even more has fallen on his lap but he’s risen to that challenge.”