Croatia defender Dejan Lovren has admitted that he is relishing the chance to line up against England in the semi-finals of the World Cup.

The Liverpool centre-back said that the match will be a "great encounter" that his team deserve to take part in after defeating Russia 4-3 on penalties in the previous round.

"Russia played a great match against us. They broke the rhythm, they scored two goals and played as they should. But we showed the mental strength again and that's a big thing for our team. We deserved to go through," Lovren told reporters during Croatia's post-match press conference.

"It will be a great encounter [with England]. We have four days to rest and prepare for the game."

Croatia reached the semis after holding their nerve on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra time.

Written by
Mark Langshaw