Harry Maguire believes England proved against Colombia that they can stand up to any provocation and have the mental toughness to win the World Cup.
England’s resolve was put to the test at Spartak Stadium as their opponents resorted to several acts of gamesmanship to unsettle them, while the atmopshere was intensely hostile due to the ground being full of Colombia fans.
Gareth Southgate’s side had to cope with the setback of conceding an equaliser just before normal time and going behind during the penalty shootout – where they have lost six of their last seven in major tournaments – before securing a 4-3 triumph.
When asked if England, who face Sweden in the quarter-final, displayed the mettle required to cope with any adversity, he said: “Yes. There have been a lot of questions about us about how we are a young team and that we don’t have much experience.
“We have shown against Colombia that we are hungry, we are fearless. The boys showed great character.
“We conceded in the 93rd minute when we were fully in control and were really comfortable – the only way they were going to score was from a set play. It was a great ball, a great header and something we will have to look at and try and improve on. But to come back and still win the game is really promising.
“There were some things going on out there that I have never seen before. It was a bit crazy at times.
“The referee had a hard job and maybe he could have booked a couple of their players early on – it would have changed their actions, what they were trying to do.
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“They were looking to frustrate us – that was their game-plan. The boys showed great discipline, real focus on our job and our individual roles. We came strong at the end.”