Gary Neville believes it's now or never if England are to end their 40-year wait for World Cup glory and avoid being remembered as the nearly men of international football.
In a rallying cry ahead of Saturday's quarter-final showdown with Portugal, Neville said it was time for England to justify the hype surrounding their bid for the greatest prize in football.
"I believe there is a time and a moment for players to deliver, and I believe it is Saturday," said the Manchester United defender, who is likely to start after recovering from a calf strain.
"If it is not I'll be talking to you on Saturday night and saying that you have found the measure of this team. There'll be no excuses. "If we fail on Saturday then we have to hold our hands up and say, 'We haven't delivered, that the talk about us being potential world champions was rubbish.' So this is it for us."
The straight-talking Neville represents the conscience of the England dressing room and has been an ever-present since making his debut in 1995.
While Neville believes the current England team is the best he has played with, he is adamant that reputations will count for nothing if England fall in the quarter-finals for the third major tournament on the trot. "We have to win if we want to be recognised as a great England team," Neville said. "If we don't we'll be recognised as a nearly team, a team that had potential but didn't deliver. "The measure of this team will be in this tournament. We couldn't have had a better preparation.
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