Ezri Konsa backs England team to unite a divided country | OneFootball

England flags have been going up across the country, with mixed reactions

Ezri Konsa believes this England team have the power to unite the country during a divisive time.

Some, however, have voiced discomfort at the flags due to tensions running high across England over immigration.

But Konsa believes football can be a unifying force, as he saw first-hand last year during England’s run to the final of Euro 2024.

People take part in a counter protest at the Stand Up To Racism rally (Gareth Fuller/PA)

PA Wire

“We can bring people together,” he said. “I saw it last year at the Euros.

“The penalties after Switzerland, going on my phone after the game and seeing everyone coming together to support us.

“For me as footballers sometimes you don’t realise how much power we have over people. When we play for our country and the pride and joy we bring to people is amazing. It’s truly wonderful to see.

“I was with Gareth [Southgate] for a year and I saw how much he wants us to be a family and how much we were together, especially with the time we spent together at the Euros. And we’ve brought that with Thomas [Tuchel]. He is big on creating a little family here.”

England are in action on Saturday when they host Andorra at Villa Park in a World Cup qualifier.

The Three Lions beat Andorra in June, but their performance sparked frustration among supporters as they laboured to a 1-0 win.

“Everyone that plays for England, they are always up for it,” said Konsa. “They always give it their best.

Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers and Noni Madueke

The FA via Getty Images

“But I think playing teams like Andorra, it’s really tough to play, they play a really low block and obviously we’re going to have the majority of the ball so for us …. games like that, you have to stay patient.

“I know sometimes the crowd can get frustrated with us but look, for us, it’s all about focusing on the game plan, trying to break them down.

“We’ve got great players up there that can break a lot of top teams down. For us, especially with me as a centre-half, we’ll just like to it to the front players and let them do their work! Hopefully that works on Saturday.

“It didn’t really click over there. We got the win. Fans expect five or six but that’s not the way it is. A low block is tough to break down and these countries can defend.

“Getting the three points was the main thing. I understand the fans frustration. I think we were frustrated ourselves as players. Hopefully Saturday is a different game.”