Jack Grealish has urged the nation to stop writing off rival countries as no-hopers.
England have been criticised for failing to secure qualification for the knock-out stages of the World Cup with a stale performance in a goalless draw with the United States on Friday night.
Gareth Southgate’s men face Wales on Tuesday with their fate in their own hands after the opening 6-2 thrashing of Iran. And Manchester City midfielder Grealish is braced for a backlash from the Welsh - who will definitely go home if they fail to beat their great rivals.
Grealish said: “Wales have got some very good players - and they won't just be playing for pride. In their heads, the Welsh aren’t out yet. They have a game to play and can still qualify.
"It’s going to be difficult for them, but they can still go through - but it’s also in our hands as well.
“I don’t think anyone should get down about the draw with the United States.You shouldn’t underestimate the USA. They are a good side, very energetic. They have very good attackers - Christian Pulisic in particular - and we knew it was going to be a difficult game.
"We go into the last game top of the group, so let’s see what happens.”
England have been here before. At the Euros in 2021, they were held to a goalless draw by Scotland after the euphoria of an opening victory over Croatia - and still reached the final.
Grealish said: “When you look back to the Euros, we had exactly the same situation. We got to the final that time around, so hopefully we can do the same thing. You have these games, you know. We probably lacked a bit of quality in the final third.
“But we’ve come away with a clean sheet, which is a little positive. I don’t think anyone in the squad will get too down. The game against Wales is going to be an interesting one. You know it’s going to be difficult because of the rivalry.”
