“?Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has told his Liverpool teammates that they shouldn’t expect a friendly atmosphere when Slovakia face England in their final group stage match on Monday.
Skrtel plays alongside Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson, Nathaniel Clyne and James Milner at Liverpool, while Raheem Sterling is a former colleague as well.
Speaking to FIFA.com the 31-year-old said “It’s not a normal situation for me, but we’re professionals and it’s all part of the job.
“I know them and they know me, though there’s more to the match than just that.
“In a match like this there are no such things as friends. You can maybe be friends before or after the game, but not on the pitch.
“Everyone will be giving their all for their team and doing their very best to win the game.
“It’s a game between two nations, and England have got one of the best teams in the world.”
Skrtel also seems to agree with Gareth Bale’s controversial comments leading up to England’s 2-1 win against Wales on Thursday. The Real Madrid star claimed that the Three Lions could not match the Welshmen’s passion, and the Liverpool man appears to share that sentiment.
“The smaller countries have probably got more team spirit, especially when they come up against the big countries,” he said.
“The pressure will be on the English, though I think they have enough experience to be able to handle it.
“It’s all going to come down to what happens on the pitch, and I think we can reproduce our performance against Russia (a 2-1 win).
“We showed heart, character and motivation.”
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