A brace and man-of-the-match performance from Liverpool FC’s Harvey Elliott against the Netherlands sent England into the final of the U21 Euros for the second successive tournament, setting up a showdown with Germany.
Harvey opened the scoring in the 62nd minute, smashing home with his right foot after being put through on goal. Then in the 85th minute, Harvey dribbled free to the edge of the box and slotted the ball into the lower right corner to seal the win for the Three Lions.
Harvey raised his arms and savoured the jubilation at the Stadion Tehelne pole in celebration.
After the game, Elliott reflected on the moment:
“It’s up there. Every goal I score is a massive moment because I enjoy scoring goals, I enjoy the feeling and buzz, and it gives me confidence.”
“Emotionally and mentally it’s definitely up there. There’s nothing better than scoring for your country in front of your family in the stands.”
“We all deserve to be here, the squad is incredible in terms of the quality, in terms of how we play football as a team and the togetherness we have.”
“The moment we have fear within ourselves is the moment it goes wrong. I think now, especially after the Spain game [in the quarter-finals], the fear isn’t there any more. We can take on any team.”
However, he had second thoughts about the celebration for his opener:
“I decided to do a silly knee slide which really hurt, but you have to live in the moment.”
“You do these things, but I forgot the pitch was ridiculously dry and it is the price I have got to pay. Hopefully, it is nothing too silly.”
Elliott’s future at Liverpool looks uncertain after only making two Premier League starts in a title-winning campaign. With the addition of Florian Wirtz, it likely sees him sliding lower in the pecking order, and Elliott admitted that he does not want to be “wasting years” in his career and will reassess his situation this summer. In the event of his likely departure, Elliott will almost certainly be in demand, with Brighton already rumoured to be in the chase of his services. You don’t make nearly 100 appearances at 22 years of age for Liverpool without being a quality player.