'incredible Crowd Love' Gave Carter Courage To Play

Defender Jess Carter says nan support of fans successful England's Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy "meant everything" aft being racially abused - aliases she wouldn't person had nan assurance to play successful nan 2-1 win.

The Lionesses booked their spot successful a Euros last for a 2nd successive clip aft an extra-time occurrence successful Geneva.

It came conscionable 2 days aft Carter revealed she had been subjected to online racist maltreatment since nan tourney began successful Switzerland.

England's players past announced they would extremity taking nan knee earlier games and alternatively stood still earlier nan kick-off against Italy connected Tuesday. Substitutes, including Carter, stood connected nan touchline pinch their arms linked successful a show of solidarity.

England supporters astatine nan Stade de Geneve chanted Carter's sanction passim nan lucifer and applauded successful nan 16th infinitesimal successful reference to her squad number.

The Gotham FC defender, 27, received a rapturous reception erstwhile she came connected arsenic a substitute precocious successful other clip arsenic nan defending champions held retired for a comeback victory.

"It meant everything," Carter told BBC Sport of nan crowd's response.

"Without that I wouldn't person felt nan assurance to travel retired connected to nan pitch, whether for nan past 3 minutes aliases not.

"I'm not judge I would person had nan courageousness to beryllium disposable to support my team. They've allowed maine to do that, truthful I can't beryllium much grateful to everyone who has shown support.

"I'm ace grateful to them. I dream they bring that power for each azygous infinitesimal of each azygous crippled for each azygous 1 of our players because they were large and amazing.

"The emotion I felt was incredible, truthful convey you truthful much."

England's players said they decided to extremity taking nan knee because it was "clear we and shot request to find different measurement to tackle racism", while head Sarina Wiegman said nan effect of nan anti-racism motion was "not bully enough".

"I was trying to attraction connected not crying," added Carter, erstwhile asked to picture her emotions connected nan touchline.

"[Standing together] was astir bringing consciousness backmost to racism, that it's still present and coming and that group are still having to put up pinch it.

"I'm not saying monolithic alteration is going to beryllium made but we wanted to make nan constituent again to group sending hateful comments. We're present to effort to do good for your country, execute for your country.

"I don't mind nan comments astir not playing great, I tin grip those ones, but nan colour of my tegument has thing to do pinch my feet. I'll proceed to springiness everything for my country."

On her determination to unfastened up astir nan abuse, nan erstwhile Chelsea defender said: "It was really reliable for maine to measurement up and speak astir something. I'm not really a personification to do that, I support my caput down and support going.

"But it sewage to a constituent wherever I didn't consciousness comfortable aliases assured successful myself.

"I said pinch my squad and everyone has been incredible. The support from my squad has been amazing."

Having gone a extremity down, England looked group for conclusion successful Geneva but were rescued by a 96th-minute Michelle Agyemang equaliser, earlier Chloe Kelly scored successful nan last infinitesimal of other clip aft her punishment was saved.

Wiegman's broadside will look Spain aliases Germany successful nan last connected Sunday, 27 July astatine 17:00 BST.