Ezri Konsa: 'It's what I dreamt of as a kid'
Switzerland 1-1 England (3-5 on pens)
Ezri Konsa admits that starting for England in their EURO 2024 quarter-final victory over Switzerland was a dream come true.
Konsa followed up his substitute appearance in the last-16 by playing from the beginning on Saturday, turning in an accomplished performance.
The Aston Villa defender was delighted to start and even more pleased that the Three Lions came through on penalties.
He said: "It was a magical experience, something that I've dreamt about as a kid.
"I've wanted to play in these games and I'm grateful to the gaffer for putting me in. The main thing is we got the win. It was a very emotional game today but we managed to do it."
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— England (@England) July 6, 2024
All five England spot-kicks were scored during the shoot-out and Konsa believes the team's success is a result of the hard work put in ahead of the game.
He said: "It was never in doubt, especially with the boys who took them. They were very confident.
"It was something that we've been working on for quite a while now because you never know. We knew we were ready if it got to that and you could see it worked."
With a semi-final against the Netherlands approaching on Wednesday, Konsa is sure the Three Lions are capable of stepping up again.
He said: "It depends on us. If we continue to show that spirit and togetherness, I'm sure we can win it all."