England's path to the knockout stage of the World Cup has been secured, with the team finishing top of Group L ahead of their next match against DR Congo on Wednesday night.
Former England defender Kyle Walker emphasized the importance of the team's performance in the knockout stage, stating that players like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham will need more support from their teammates if England is to have genuine aspirations of winning the tournament.
Walker, who earned 96 caps for England, expressed his confidence in the team's ability to perform better in the knockout stage, particularly with Bukayo Saka expected to play a more significant role in the team's success.
Saka earned his first start of the tournament against Panama and Walker saw signs that the Arsenal winger is 'going to come into it now.'
Walker highlighted the importance of the team's performance in the knockout stage, stating that 'you need players like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane to be firing on all cylinders for England to do well at the World Cup.'
He also emphasized the need for other players to step up and support the team's star players, praising Saka's potential and expecting him to play a more significant role in the team's success.
'You can't just lean on certain players either, everyone needs to chip in,' Walker said. 'Everyone needs to up it now another five or ten percent because the opponents are getting better.'
England's last-32 opponents DR Congo finished third in Group K after beating Uzbekistan, drawing with Portugal and losing to Colombia, setting the stage for a challenging match against the African team.
Walker warned that any game in the tournament from here on will be difficult, but expressed his confidence in the team's ability to perform better and reach the next stage of the competition.
