Gary Neville hands England stars stern warning after Slovenia bore draw

GARY NEVILLE has warned England what awaits them if they do not find their feet at Euro 2024.

The Three Lions limped into the last 16 as group winners despite three poor performances.

And Neville, 49, says they must get their act together or they are in for a rude awakening with the Netherlands potentially lying in wait.

He told Sky Sports: "There's one fortunate element of our group.

"It has been the poorest group to watch and that has helped us, when we've been below par, to get through as group winners.

"What will happen is now is that we'll rise to the occasion of the knockout phases and playing against a better team will mean there's more space and our players will naturally just thrive in that sort of environment, or they'll carry their performances through from the group into the knockout phase and they'll get the shock of their lives.

"Because if they carry on playing like they are one thing I can guarantee you they will get beat."

Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Gareth Southgate have urged the media to be more positive in their coverage.

But Neville thinks the press, fans and squad are singing from the same hymn sheet.

He added: "They know they have to step it up. I actually think what the media are saying, what the players are saying in their interviews and what Gareth is saying are exactly the same things.

"Declan Rice - before the game I think - said that he was poor against Denmark and the team were poor.

"Gareth admitted that they keep the ball and that they didn't press well and they didn't do the defensive part of the game high up the pitch well.

"Obviously they're defending well at the back when they go into a sort of shape.

"But I think we're saying the same things, the fans are seeing the same things, but obviously with a lot more emotion and that's the difference here.

"What we have to do is get our performance level up a level or two if we're going to get past a country like Holland.

"Because I think if we play like we have been, we'll struggle and it could be a disappointing ending.

"But we've got the capability to step up because those players proved in the second half last night that they are capable of fantastic football and playing far better than they have done.

"There's another level on the back of that second half last night that's still to come as well."