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Former England defender Paul Parker added on Robbie Savage's World Cup Breakfast: "The players must believe they've got a golden opportunity. It was talked about, being on the right side of the draw. They've done that and they've given themselves a great avenue to go down.

"Now they just have one more hurdle to get over to have the opportunity to make major history. Croatia are thinking the same way, both sides will believe they can get through, so it's going to make it a really good game.

"They can cross that hurdle. We haven't really been tested all over the park in this tournament yet. Croatia are our first real test and I'm usually a sceptic with England but I really do believe we can get through. I think England will win 2-1."

Image source, Getty Images

Back to today's papers, and like Sheffield's Star newspaper, the Sunderland Echo is getting behind their local lads, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and midfielder Jordan Henderson.

Image source, .

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Paul Parker played in England's last World Cup semi-final in 1990. The former right-back's cross fell kindly for Gary Lineker to make it 1-1 with West Germany, and he's just been on Robbie Savage's World Cup Breakfast to talk about it:

"I didn't sleep properly (the night before), I was waking up from a nightmare - I was going to be up against the top team in the tournament and was seeing all of their players.

"We didn't play till 9.30 so, mentally, you're already tired and you just wanted to get the game on.

"Performance-wise, we competed with them and they had such quality all over the pitch. No-one believed we could win against Germany, because they were so good."

Image source, Getty Images

Slightly surprised to hear about Croatia training with that intensity, especially after they went to penalties in the previous two rounds.

Here's how they got past hosts Russia in the quarter-finals...

Richard Conway
BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent

Croatia trained at the Luzhniki Stadium last night for an hour at what I’m told was a fairly substantial intensity.

Hacked the pitch up quite a bit too apparently. It looks immaculate again this morning. Groundstaff are currently mowing and the final prep is under way.

Brief update coming up on how Croatia are preparing for the game...

Ben, Wilts: My wife is booked in for a c-section today so I will be missing the game. 3 lions and a baby does sound like a great concept for a film though.

Indeed Ben. So will it be Harry for a boy, or Harriett for a girl?

It would surely secure the Golden Boot for Harry Kane too, especially with Romelu Lukaku, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe failing to score last night.

Here's what happened the last time England won a World Cup semi-final.

Another double from the Three Lions' number nine would do nicely.

Zetti: We have come this far by believing in our boys. Why stop now no matter what happens tonight. They have done the unthinkable in a few weeks. They can and they will in my opinion take us all the way.

Billy Torpey: No matter the result, the boys have done us proud! They’ve brought the nation together, playing half decent football! Certainly proud and hoping the boys can go one more and make the final!

Richard: In a meeting all day in Andover but hopefully will be finished in time to get back to Sheffield and watch the game at home with the family. It's coming home!

Reportedly, Cristiano Ronaldo will earn almost £73,000 a day at Juventus and his move will surely spark a transfer merry-go-round this summer.

Could it be Chelsea's Belgium captain Eden Hazard, not Kylian Mbappe, who replaces Ronaldo at Real Madrid?

And could Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain be leaving Juve for Chelsea?

It's all in today's gossip column.

Image source, AFP

Are Real Madrid now lining up a move for Kylian Mbappe? The young France forward has produced some thrilling moments of skill in Russia.

Here's how BBC pundit Rio Ferdinand reacted to his backheel last night...

Antoine Griezmann and his Atletico Madrid team-mates will probably be glad to see the back of Cristiano Ronaldo after Real Madrid announced last night that he was joining Juventus.

Spanish newspaper Marca printed an 'historical cover' to say 'goodbye legend'. It reads "there will be no other equal" and has a graphic of how many goals he's scored and who he's scored them against.

Just look how many he got against Atletico.

Image source, .

But France are through to their third World Cup final in 20 years.

Forward Antoine Griezmann wept at the final whistle and on social media said 'more than a match!'

Shame, the Red Devils had given us some great moments in this World Cup. Here's two of them...

Belgium had hoped that their 'golden generation' would take them into their first World Cup final.

Alas, it wasn't to be. And Le Soir, Belgium's French language daily newspaper, reports on 'the grief of the Belgians'.

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Drake is most definitely NOT from Sheffield. But he has been at Wimbledon this week, and he's getting behind England too.

Here's another of Sheffield's sporting sons, golfer Matt Fitzpatrick, getting behind the lads.

Simon: Was initially going to teach my guitar student the storm troopers' theme from Star Wars today. Now he's going to learn Football's Coming Home.

Chris, Northwich: It feels like it's written in the stars. This is our tournament. Come on England!

JP, Glasgow: Croatia will be very tough opposition. They'll fight like a lion. But we'll fight like three. If we play the way we can we'll be playing France on Sunday.

Leicester team-mates Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy both hail from Sheffield.

And wait till you hear Vardy's nickname for Maguire...harsh!!