Having beaten Serbia in their Group C opener at the Euros, England came in for strong criticism when they followed that 1-0 win with drab draws against Denmark and Slovenia.
Speaking on You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker, the defender revealed the squad discussed media criticism while out in Germany.
“I’d be lying if I said we don’t speak about it,” he added. “We’re all human beings and everyone wants to be liked – especially for the job that you’re doing with so much passion and love.”
The Three Lions later scraped past Slovakia in the last 16, winning 2-1. They were 1-0 behind to the 44th ranked nation until the 95th minute, when Jude Bellingham scored an overhead bicycle kick to take the game into extra time, where captain Harry Kane headed home the decisive goal.
Walker, who was also part of the England squad ignominiously knocked out by Iceland in the last 16 at Euro 2016, admitted he thought history may repeat itself before Bellingham’s goal.
“You just think, ‘is this really happening again?’,” he said, adding how late winners showed “the guts and the courage” of the squad.