England centre-back Tyrone Mings believes everyone in the squad must be prepared to use "dark arts" at Euro 2020.
The Three Lions are hoping to win their first major international tournament since the 1966 World Cup.
England's first group game is against Croatia at Wembley on Sunday, with Mings likely to start in central defence.
The 28-year-old believes England must be streetwise during their matches.
Asked about the matter by reporters, he said: "Football is very soft these days, you cannot get away with much.
"Like you say, if there had have been VAR, absolutely I would have given away a penalty [against Austria in a friendly last week].
"As a defender, I have done that many times in my career. When a cross is about to come in, block the striker. That is not against the rules. But that one [on Kalajdzic] there was probably too aggressive.
"But being streetwise is a huge part of the game. You look at other nations and they are masters at the dark arts - staying on the floor for longer than needed, delaying restarts.
"Being streetwise is also sometimes what gets you over the edge because it winds up the opposition and breaks up their flow and their rhythm."
