Ukraine's football players will return home as heroes regardless of what happens in Rome against England on Saturday.

The drama of what transpired on Tuesday night, when a 120th minute goal secured passage to the quarter-finals at Euro 2020, was beamed around the world.

There were street parties in Kiev while players even indulged by busting out some dance moves in the dressing room.

But it is England next and a marked step up in quality for the Ukrainian side.

Sportsmail looks into Ukraine's star men, manager Andriy Shevchenko, their playing style and why two famous faces back in Ukraine celebrated by pouring water over themselves live on TV.

Ukraine came third in Group C - finishing with 3 points as they only managed to beat North Macedonia.

An opening defeat to Holland, rallying back but losing 3-2, was thrilling before there were groans that a 1-0 loss to Austria had cost them dearly.

Four of the six third-placed teams progressed and Ukraine squeezed in as the fourth team via goal difference, much to the relief of the country's fans.

With Spain failing to win their group, as many anticipated, Ukraine were handed a last-16 match-up with Sweden in Glasgow.

The match went all the way to extra-time after Emil Forsberg cancelled out Ukraine's opener but once Sweden were reduced to 10 men they capitalised, striking in the final moments to win it with Artem Dovbyk.

Cue wild celebrations in Glasgow and in Kiev...

No. In both Euro 2012 - the first Euros - and Euro 2016 they never made it out of the group but the new format worked in their favour.

They actually faced England in Donetsk, Ukraine, in 2012 in their final group game, losing 1-0 courtesy of a Wayne Rooney goal.

Boss Andriy Shevchenko even came off the bench that day - something he won't be doing this time round.

Euro 2016 was a complete disaster where they finished pointless and goalless in three group games to Poland, Germany and Northern Ireland.

They made a World Cup quarter-final in 2006, losing 3-0 in that match-up to Italy but in their Euros history, this is history in the making.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (Full-back)

The most familiar player in this side to English fans and the player that will be briefing his team-mates on the likes of Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Kyle Walker.

Zinchenko is arguably his country's most accomplished player in the current set-up as he continues to thrive with trophies at Manchester City.

Against Sweden he was deployed as a left wing-back, but Zinchenko's versatility is his greatest asset because he is equally adept in a central midfield role.

He can also play further up as a winger or a playmaker in a No 10 position.

England will know all about him - they won't need any formal introduction in Rome.

Ruslan Malinovskyi (Winger)

The Atalanta wide man has not set this tournament alight yet but remains a brilliant young talent with the world at his feet.

He is the engine in midfield, or an outlet in a wide role of a front three, and his creativity cannot be understated in allowing those around him to thrive.

Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini loves him - and with good reason.

The ominous sign for England is that the player is still to explode at this tournament.

He missed a penalty in the group stages in the win over North Macedonia and will have a point to prove after being benched against Sweden.

Malinovskyi is being monitored by scouts across the continent and a special show against England could see chequebooks sent to Bergamo.

Roman Yaremchuk (Striker)

The jewel in Ukraine's side.

A towering 6ft 3' striker that is a throwback to the classic mould of a target man.

Yaremchuk provides a brilliant outlet to help get Ukraine up the pitch and central defenders such as Harry Maguire will be in for a toiling battle aerially in Italy this weekend.

Interest in signing him this summer is inevitable given his form.

The Gent striker has scored twice at this tournament so far and that's off the back of a season where he netted more than 20 for his club across all competitions in Belgium.

Andriy Shevchenko

An AC Milan legend and a man Chelsea fans know all too well given his time at Stamford Bridge.

A former player - hell, even a former politician - Shevchenko likes to stay in tune with his players so much so that as manager he often gets involved in sessions to best show what he wants.

All he had to show from his time at Chelsea was an FA Cup and a League Cup but should he take Ukraine all the way in the Euros it would, by far, be his greatest achievement in the game, even with his Champions League win with AC Milan.

Best of all, he holds no fear of England either.

'England are a great team, they have a deep bench, an outstanding coaching staff and we are fully aware how tough this game is going to be,' Shevchenko told a news conference.

'I saw all their three group matches, not today's win over Germany because we had to prepare for our own game with Sweden. They are incredibly difficult to score against but their strength shouldn't scare us.

'It should motivate us because everything is possible in football as in life and we will play our hearts out to give our fans even more to cheer about.'

His issue is that, like a good old striker, defence isn't at the forefront of his mind and that's of real concern.

Ukraine have only kept one clean sheet in their last 16 competitive fixtures since October 2019 — and that was a smash-and-grab home win over Spain, who wasted plenty of chances in that Nations League fixture.

A sluggish start or an early goal conceded in Rome could kill off any hopes in this near David vs Goliath match-up against England.

While both squads got a chance to familiarise themselves with the facilities at Hampden ahead of Tuesday night's last-16, Ukraine really got down to the nuts and bolts of their game-plan at a much cosier ground nearby.

Shevchenko and his staff had the privacy they needed training at Scottish Championship side Partick Thistle's Firhill home.

Ukraine's own camera crew captured the session as part of their Euro daily diary and while these players are used to far grander stages, there were no complaints as an empty Colin Weir stand, littered with fan cardboard cut-outs, watched on.

The plan was hatched not far from Hampden... at the cosier Firhill, home of Scottish Championship side Partick Thistle.

If they navigate a way past England, maybe superstitions will have them returning to Glasgow.

Throughout the group stage Shevchenko appeared wedded to a 4-3-3 system designed around Yaremchuk as the focal point as the central striker.

But the former Chelsea striker and his staff showed brilliant tactical flexibility in going to a 5-3-2 at Hampden.

It didn't deliver the clean sheet they would have hoped for and worked on but it brought great play from the wing-backs of Zinchenko and Dynamo Kiev's Oleksandr Karavayev on the other side.

This system would appear the more likely plan for Ukraine to go with against England as they look to be as resolute as possible against the Three Lions.

Eyebrows were raised on Shevchenko's first day in charge when he boldly stated he wanted the playing style to move away from a increasingly physical, counter-attacking approach and instead edge towards a possession-based game.

But it has worked, even if the group stage was far from vintage.

Jordan Pickford could find himself in for something of a quiet afternoon with Ukraine only managing more than five shots on target in a game once in this tournament so far, in their win against North Macedonia.

They will need to be clinical when chances arrive given England are yet to concede but confidence won't be hire.

It's all set to be a fascinating chess match in Rome.

Expectations are realistic back in Ukraine - or at least they were prior to this mazy run to the last-eight.

Nonetheless, Zinchenko gave a nod to the critics that were left bemused following a 1-0 defeat to Austria in the group stage.

They progressed as the worst third-placed side and it seems the City man is not quite so willing to gloss over his previous detractors.

Scoring the first goal against Sweden, Zinchenko raced off with his finger to his lips to 'shush' his critics.

'As for the celebration of the goal, I will say that we received a lot of criticism in the first three matches,' he later explained.

'With my celebration, I showed these people to keep their mouths shut, because we are a worthy team. A team that knows how to cope with their tasks.

'Strong is not the one who hits, but the one who withstands the blow.

'This achievement will go down in history. I just showed that you need to have faith in the team and support it.'

Safe to say Zinchenko's critics have changed their tune after the heroics in Glasgow.

As already explained, Ukraine are well coached and well organised, even if they don't have the same appreciation for clean sheets like a housekeeper would.

But if you ask goalkeeper Georgi Bushchan there was another powerful force at play in Scotland - God.

The Ukrainian's religious beliefs were there for all to see as he made his way towards his goal at Hampden Park to lay down a cross he had taken off from his neck.

The cross lay still inside the goal and inn Bushchan's mind it had the desired effect to help Ukraine go through.

'After everything that was in the group, today the football god is for us,' Bushchan said after reaching the quarter-finals.

England will be hoping 'football god' takes the night off when these sides meet in Rome this weekend.

To the surprise of no-one, the entire country was one big party as soon as the final whistle blew in Glasgow on Tuesday night to set up a mouthwatering quarter-final with England.

Street parties ran deep into the night in the capital city of Kiev while TV channels were looping with stories about the national team's historic night.

Two presenters, watching the game live on Golovanov's Time, a show broadcast on Ukraine24, got so excited they poured water over themselves to celebrate.

If Shevchenko's players were making a surprise splash in this tournament Dmitry Gordon and his co-analyst were making a splash of their own - all over the presenting table!

Elina Svitolina, Ukraine's most prominent tennis player currently active, was unable to be back home to watch as she continues to reside in Wimbledon's strict Central London hotel bubble.

The world No 5, watching from her hotel room in her personalised Ukraine jersey, was overjoyed as her nation now look ahead to facing England.

If she is still in Wimbledon by the weekend it could be a very interesting atmosphere inside the bubble with Svitolina flying the Ukrainian flag.

Ukraine boasts a great number of iconic athletes, past and present, and one who no longer competes was able to kick back and relax watching the national team.

Former boxing heavyweight Vitaly Klitschko donned a Ukraine shirt of his own as he celebrated 'glory to heroes' after the win.

Oleksandr Usyk, a current active heavyweight fighter, is busy preparing to face Anthony Joshua but he was able to make time in his camp to watch the national team.

Usyk filmed himself watching the match against Sweden in a cinema room at his home.

Away from sporting stars of Ukraine's past and present, Andriy Yermak, the head of the President's Office, was gushing on social media at just how huge reaching the quarter finals is for the country.

'This match was watched by fans in all corners of our country,' he wrote on Facebook.

'Every child from a small village and big city looked at your football and cheered smiling at parents. You made parents and children hug with happiness.

'My beloved people celebrated your goals with kisses today.

'Every old grandpa and grandma kept their fingers crossed and prayed for you. And you deserve such support with your game. Because you are our guys!'

England hold the overwhelming advantage from these nations' seven previous meetings, winning four of them.

The gap between the sides has become much closer in the last decade with England just one of the last four games between them, emerging victorious at Euro 2012 thanks to a Rooney strike just after half-time in Donetsk.

Not since 2013 have these two countries locked horns on a football pitch and even then when they did it was a drab 0-0 in a 2014 World Cup qualifier.

Heading to Rome, Ukrainian fans will be replaying the events of October 10, 2009, in their mind.

That day remains iconic in Ukrainian football history as the only time they have beaten the Three Lions.

Goalkeeper Rob Green was sent off for England after 13 minutes and it all unravelled for Fabio Capello's side in Dnipropetrovsk when Sergiy Nazarenko found the net for a 1-0 win.

September 10, 2013: Ukraine 0-0 England – World Cup qualifying

September 11, 2012: England 1-1 Ukraine – World Cup qualifying

Goals - (England - Lampard) (Ukraine - Konoplyanka)

June 19, 2012: England 1-0 Ukraine – Euro 2012

Goals - (England - Rooney)

October 10, 2009: Ukraine 1-0 England – World Cup qualifying

Goals - (Ukraine - Nazarenko)

April 1, 2009: England 2-1 Ukraine – World Cup qualifying

Goals - (England - Crouch, Terry) (Ukraine - Shevchenko)

August 18, 2004: England 3-0 Ukraine – Friendly

Goals - (England - Beckham, Owen, Wright-Phillips)

May 31, 2000: England 2-0 Ukraine – Friendly

Goals - (England - Fowler, Adams)