GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany — Jude Bellingham's Euro 2024 heroics against Slovakia have given England the belief to win the entire tournament, midfielder Conor Gallagher told FOX Sports.
Bellingham left it late before rescuing Gareth Southgate's men with a remarkable bicycle kick in the final minute of injury time in regulation, before Harry Kane's extra-time header sent England into a quarterfinal matchup with Switzerland.
Gallagher, who came on as a late substitute for Kane and worked tirelessly to help close out the victory, admitted the dramatic nature of the fightback had given the team a huge lift.
Can they now win it all?
"Absolutely," Gallagher insisted. "We've got world class players and a world-class team so we are really excited for the (opportunity).
"We know how good we are. We know how good we could be. We have not been at our best this tournament so far but the most exciting thing is we haven't lost a game and we are now in the quarterfinal. So, there is still a long way to go and we are excited for what's ahead."
England's players celebrated in the locker room in Gelsenkirchen for well over an hour before finally emerging for interviews with happy expressions firmly on faces, a contrast to the muted feel in the camp after the previous two games, both disappointing draws.
It might have been the same again, or even worse, had Bellingham not struck with his highlight reel goal as time ran out.
What a difference a minute can make. With the bottom half of the draw wide open, England's confidence is suddenly at its highest point since the start of the competition.
"Of course it helps," Gallagher said. "We can certainly play better, play better football and create more chances. To win the tournament, we have got that togetherness and that is massive.
"We've got a lot of character in the squad we showed that in winning the game. We need to keep that going to win the tournament and we need to play better as well. But the character is there and that is a massive factor.
"Jude is a world-class player and obviously one of our best — and the goal tonight was unbelievable."
England was far from convincing for most of the evening and struggled to create meaningful chances despite an overwhelming majority of possession.
Criticism from back home was starting to tell and the fans were not shy in voicing their annoyance, Southgate getting boos when his face appeared on the big screen.
The celebratory scenes that followed the game changed the mood entirely, Gallagher claimed.
"After the game — both (smiles and tired legs)," Gallagher added. "Of course a lot of the players are knackered (with) going into extra-time but everyone is buzzing to be going through to the next round and we are excited for the next one."
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.
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