Pearce: Final is all about character

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After beating hosts Sweden on penalties, Pearce's side will be European champions if they beat their traditional rivals in Malmo. Pearce has history against the Germans, losing to them on penalties at the 1990 World Cup and 1996 European Championships as a player, so knows what will be needed for victory.

"The team who has the most guts, takes their chances when they come and maybe have enough fit players will win the game," Pearce said. "It's a fantastic final.

He added: "It's the furthest I've been in international football as a player or a manager so it's a step in the right direction. We need to win one more match and one team stands in our way.

"We have to play better than against Sweden but also have to show the same character as they do time and again."

Pearce barely celebrated on Friday evening in Gothenburg when Guillermo Molins hit the post and England won the shoot-out.

It is the type of reaction he saw from two German players 19 years ago in Turin while he and Peter Shilton were taking a routine drugs test. Pearce had missed a spot-kick as England crashed out but there was no celebration or gloating from his opponents.

"I feel there is one more match in this tournament," Pearce said. "Then maybe I'll let my hair down a touch. We've come to win it. It was a semi-final, that's all it was.

"When the penalty hit the post everything else was irrelevant and only Monday was important."