Trent Alexander-Arnold admits England's players agreed with Gary Lineker's controversial description of the Three Lions' Euro 2024 performances as "s***". (More Football News)
Lineker hit out at England's display in a 1-1 group-stage draw with Denmark on his podcast, The Rest is Football, in comments that attracted a fierce response from captain Harry Kane.
Kane responded by saying former England players in the media had a "responsib🐻ility" when it came to discussing the national team, calling on them to be more supportive.
Alexander-Arnold, however, says many in the camp agreed with Lineker's cr༒iticism and feels some used it as motivation as the Three Lions grew into the tournament, finishin☂g as runners-up to Spain.
"We had all seen it and heard it and felt it," the Liverpool ace told The Dail༒y Mirror. "We all knew that we could be playing and performing better.
"It is ne☂ver nice for someone to point that out but everyone deep down knew it within ourselves, too.
"It was something we were already thinking abo🎉ut, we knew we needed to be better. We had to add that to our performances, some players may have used that as motivation."
England created chances worth just 6.15 expected goals (xG) in their seven games in Germany, with only Scotland (0.32), Serbia (0.7), Slovenia (0.81), Albania (0.82) and Italy (0.84) averaging a loꦕwer xG figure per game than their 0.88.
The Three Lions needed a stoppage-time overhead kick from Jude Bellingham to overcome Slovakia in the last 16, a penalty shoot-out🐭 to advance against Swit𝄹zerland in the quarter-finals and a last-minute Ollie Watkins winner to beat the Netherlands in the semi-finals.
After England's dramatic run ended with a 2-1 final l🌳oss to Spain, manager Gareth Southgate announced ♈his resignation following eight years at the helm.
Alexander-Arnold believes the Three Lions' aim for 🍌the 2026 World Cup musᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚt be to finally get over the line, promising the squad will give their all for Southgate's successor.
"Everyone has a high expectation wit𒀰h England now and rightly so, it is true of us as players,"🐽; he added.
"We feel we should be winninꦛg tournaments🍒, that is the goal and standard we have set ourselves. That will be there for the new manager."
