Gareth Southgate will save any ‘dad dancing’ for if England lift the World Cup

Gareth Southgate has urged his England players to be brave as he issued a rallying cry ahead of tonight’s World Cup quarter-final against France.

And the England manager has vowed to ‘dad dance’ if his team end 56 years of hurt by winning the tournament. First, they must overcome the World Cup holders and Southgate wants his team to stand up and fight for their country.

He said: ‘There will be moments when France put us under pressure and we have to brave when that happens. Being streetwise is something we have tried to work on with the players. But we have to accept that we are not going to stop them creating a chance or having a spell in the game.

‘You have got to recognise states and stages of games. Against a team of this level you can’t go out and play and not have any preparation for what they are doing.’

Southgate added: ‘We are playing well, we have got a lot of strengths ourselves and we want to make sure we keep accentuating those strengths to the players, because they should go into the game in confident mood.

‘The biggest thing for me is going to be our mentality. We will of course be tactically prepared. But on these nights you have got to have men that stand up and take on the challenge. That’s what we have got to prove to people. We have had some outstanding nights and the next game is always the most important.

There will no repeat of Tite’s dancing on the touchline from England boss Gareth Southgate 

‘It’s against a good level of opponent, one we are ready for. Historically we have always talked well, but the evidence wasn’t there. Now we have got more evidence and we have to go and nail this type of game.’

If England pull off an incredible victory at the Al Bayt Stadium tonight, they will be two victories away from winning their first major trophy since 1966.

Earlier this week, Brazil manager Tite captured the imagination by dancing with his players during their 4-1 win over South Korea.

Asked whether he would do something similar if his team beat France, Southgate, who is set to name an unchanged team tonight, replied: ‘Unlikely.’

But asked if he would change his mind if they lift the trophy a week tomorrow, Southgate said: ‘Oh, that might be different. I am quite happy to embarrass myself like anybody else at that point. But not beforehand.’

England are in very good form and will look to book a semi-final place with a win over France 

Meanwhile, Southgate says if England fail tonight, the responsibility will fall on him.

‘I’m always going to be judged on the next game,’ he said. ‘If we don’t win, I know where the buck will stop. That’s fine.’

Southgate has remained tight-lipped on his future after the World Cup, amid growing concerns within the FA that the 52-year-old will leave the job regardless of how England finish the tournament.

Sportsmail reported on Wednesday that the FA want Southgate to see out his contract, which expires after Euro 2024, regardless of how England fare here.

A defeat against France could raise the question of Southgate’s future as England manager 

There is a sense within football that Southgate will leave after the World Cup, but the FA are desperate to avoid that.

When asked about his future, Southgate offered no assurances that he would remain in charge beyond Qatar, saying: ‘I’ve got two years left on my contract, well 18 months, and I’m thinking about France on Saturday, nothing else.’

He added: ‘What has been brilliant is when very few other people wanted me to stay, the FA have always been very supportive. As a manager, you value that support.’