England star left 'disgusted' by Southgate substitution decision

Southgate held off on bringing in Toney until the end of stoppage time, but the Brentford striker still managed to make a difference as England narrowly managed to advance to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.

Toney made an impact with a long throw-in that resulted in Jude Bellingham scoring the equalizer in the 95th minute. He then assisted Harry Kane in scoring the winning goal in extra time.

Following England's 2-1 victory in Gelsenkirchen, Southgate expressed to ITV that he had a gut feeling that the game was not the end of their journey in the tournament.

Despite the fact that the throw was long, there was still a sense of optimism that we could create a disruption and possibly capitalize on a mistake. I never imagined the final outcome would be as it turned out to be.

Ivan Toney was not very happy when I subbed him in with just a minute left in the game. I believe we have reconciled since then. However, he played a key role in securing the second goal.

"If you substitute a player at that moment, it's like taking a big risk because they might not even get the chance to touch the ball. I understand why it was done in this situation. I don't like putting players in that difficult position, but I had a gut feeling that he could create some chaos on the field."

England struggled once more against Slovakia and narrowly avoided a humiliating elimination thanks to a moment of genius from Bellingham.

Southgate stated: "Tonight was a typical England match where we tested everyone's nerves."

"They are a strong team. It took us a while to figure out how to break through their defense, and it definitely requires patience. The atmosphere in the stadium becomes tense when you are losing. In the second half, we improved in that aspect and maintained our patience."

Ultimately, we were counting on a lengthy throw to make the difference. After putting in a lot of effort and wearing down the opposition, those critical moments can arise. It's important to maintain faith in such situations.

Regarding Bellingham's goal, Southgate expressed, "That shows his true character. With only 15 minutes left in the game, he seemed completely exhausted and we considered substituting him for someone with more energy. However, we recognize the potential impact he can have on the game. It's moments like this that remind us why we believe in him."

The best players make a difference in important games when it matters most. It's all about the mindset they bring.