Tuesday 10 July 2018 09:50, UK
Kyle Walker says Gareth Southgate's "special" England squad are a like a "close family" ahead of Wednesday's World Cup semi-final with Croatia.
The group have been praised for their "togetherness" during the campaign by Peter Shilton, who was involved in the last England team to reach the last four of a World Cup in 1990.
Walker believes there has been a great mood in the camp throughout the summer, with all of the players adopting each other as their own.
"We did have a north v south game at The Grove - what I can remember is we had a dodgy ref who was southern in Steve (Holland), which didn't help the northerners," the Sheffield-born defender told Sky News Radio.
"Listen, it doesn't matter where you're from. I think everyone is so close in there. It's special. It really is. That's the only word I can describe it because we're all a family.
"I said at the start of this that over this summer, this is our family.
"You obviously have got your family at home and the kids that you need to keep in touch with, keep checking in or the missus might go mad. But this is our family now.
"Hopefully we had a long month together, which we have done. And we've completed a World Cup. We have completed it.
"If we get to the final or if we don't get to the final then we're one day short, you know it has been an absolute pleasure of an experience to share not just with the players but the staff, even the media staff and you guys as well. Thank you for coming on our ride with us."
