Young Liverpool talent Harvey Elliott was over the moon after scoring a crucial goal in England U21s' 3-1 win against Spain, sending them through to the European Championship semi-finals.
Elliott, alongside Liverpool colleagues Jarell Quansah and Tyler Morton, took to the pitch from the start. The young Lions survived an early fright when VAR overturned a Spanish penalty, setting the stage for James McAtee to score first, followed quickly by Elliott's opportunistic finish, and cemented by Elliot Anderson's penalty in the dying minutes.
Spain managed to claw one back before half-time with Javi Guerra's successful penalty given away by Quansah, but Lee Carsley’s squad held on for the victory, gearing up for a momentous semi-final contest against the Netherlands this Wednesday.
In his reflection of the night’s proceedings, Elliott remarked: "Incredible. Lost for words, I think. I said at the start of the game it was going to be very tough, they're going to play an incredible game against us.
"But I thought the way the lads handled it, handled the pressure, conceding a goal and being determined to keep on going, keep on fighting. We deserve it so much.
"Now it's kind of time to celebrate, but we need to think about the semis now. Celebrate, recover, rest, go again."
Harvey Elliott attempts a shot for England Under-21s
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Morton, who impressed on the night, will miss the semi-final due to picking up a booking in the match versus Spain. Napoli’s Rafa Marin saw a red card as the match ended with heightened emotions and a brawl.
Elliott weighed in on the match's high stakes and heated exchanges, explaining: "It was always going to happen. I think it's just passion from both teams, it's just one of them.
"I was trying to calm everyone down, because at the end of the day we have everything to lose. They don't if they get sent off. We have to focus now. We can't get too carried away. We can't lose players for the semi-final."
Manchester City's rising star McAtee kept a clear head, adding: "We're over the moon, but the focus is the semi-final now. We're happy about the win, but we need to switch focus."
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And England coach Carsley acknowledged the team's resilience after an early mishap: "We talked about getting a fast start and to give the penalty away after a minute, obviously then going to VAR — the lads showed a lot of character," he said.
"I thought the first half we were so good. I was saying before the game, I think the longer we can stay in, the more fluid we will become. Some really outstanding performances and they should be proud of themselves."
Carsley urged his team to look ahead, signalling that the journey doesn't end here: "The big thing is this can't be our final. This can't be our highlight of the competition, there's better nights to come."
Liverpool.com says: Elliott did very well and the other Liverpool players, Morton and Quansah, did too. It was a good night for England, knocking out a good Spain side.