John Stones insists England's Euros heartbreak is driving the Three Lions to go one better at the World Cup in Qatar, saying: "I can't have that feeling again, it was horrible".
The Manchester City defender is also keen to atone for his 2021 Champions League final hurt against Chelsea, which came just six weeks before England's defeat by Italy.
England face reigning World Cup champions France in the quarter-finals on Saturday and Stones says the pain of losing two finals means he's more fired up than ever before.
"After getting to the Euros final, there's definitely more pressure; that's a given. I can only speak for myself but that definitely has added an even greater incentive for us to not let that happen again and to do better," Stones told Mirror Football, on behalf of the JD King of the Game campaign.
"I can't have that feeling again, it was horrible. It wasn't a good summer for me.
"It was difficult mentally losing the Champions League final and then losing the Euros, it was not good. It's about keeping positive and doing everything we can to have a successful tournament."
England have shown steady improvement in international competitions dating back to the 2018 World Cup in Russia where the Three Lions reached the semi-final before being knocked out by Croatia.
Gareth Southgate's men went one step better in the 2020 Euros by reaching the final, only to lose to Italy in typically heart-breaking fashion on penalties.
England are among the favourites to win a first World Cup since 1966 this December but face the difficult task of overcoming France first.
Didier Deschamps' men have been in tantalising form in Qatar with star turn Kylian Mbappe netting five in just four appearances for his country.
Les Bleus beat Poland 3-1 in their last-16 clash to set up a quarter-final with England and are fighting hard to retain their title.
But Stones is quietly confident that the Three Lions can finally break their 56-year hoodoo.
Stones, who has played in every World Cup match so far this tournament and is yet to taste defeat, said: "My personal goal is to of course try and win it, that's always the target.
"I believe when you go into a competition you see how far it can take you. I believe in bettering yourself from previous experiences as well, so if we better our performance from the last World Cup then we're making steps in the right direction."
* John Stones features in the JD campaign 'King of the Game' with JD exclusive product drops available online at jdsports.co.uk and in stores across the UK now.
