10 July,2018 11:01 AM IST | Samara | PA Sport
England winger Raheem Sterling; (insert) Zlatko Dalic
He might divide fans at home but Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic picked out winger Raheem Sterling as one of England's most dangerous players ahead of tomorrow's semi-final clash.
Having failed to score in an England shirt for nearly three years, Sterling has been criticised by supporters and some pundits, with the BBC's fan-driven player-rater tool giving him the lowest mark. So fierce has some of this criticism been that ex-England and Manchester United duo David Beckham and Gary Neville have rallied to support the Manchester City star and they now have an ally in Dalic.
Speaking to reporters in Moscow a day after his side's dramatic quarter-final win over hosts Russia, Dalic was asked about England's strengths and weaknesses. The coach, who has only been in charge of the national side since October, said: "I wouldn't say there are any glaring weaknesses - they are in the semi-finals, that says it all. They showed from the games I've seen so far that they play direct football and they are very fast.
"They are good at set-pieces and their tall players are dangerous at corners. I think Raheem Sterling is an important player because he is fast and his combination with Harry Kane is really dangerous."
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