'This is our chance to make history'

Southgate spells out England’s hopes with his shoes before Euros semi-finals

- Robert Dex

ENGLAND boss Gareth Southgate is keeping his feet on ground complete with an inspirational motto on his trainers — ahead of the team’s semi-final against the Netherlands tonight.

The coach wore the footwear with the message “anything is possible” as he joined Harry Kane on the pitch in Dortmund to get an early look at the venue. The words are a nod to Southgate’s book where he talked about his path from shy schoolboy footballer to success on the pitch, and how he overcame his own challenges including his penalty miss in the semi-final of the 1996 Euros.

His trainers also had 100 written on them — a reference to the game against the Swiss in the quarter-final which was his 100th game as England manager, eight years after stepping into the role temporarily when Sam Allardyce was forced to resign.