There is football fever in England and in every other pub it is ‘football is coming home’. The key according to many – 1996 penalty taker and 2018 national team captain – Gareth Southgate.
Southgate has been hailed as a hero in England, and is being talked about instead of Harry Kane.
“We are really proud of the support we have received. We have had the opportunity to make a difference. Our fans, our country, have suffered for so long because of football,” says England captain Gareth Southgate. Watchman.
long range work
In an interview with The Guardian, Southgate, who captained England when they were knocked out by Iceland at Euro 2016, spoke about the Three Lions’ path to success and how a struggling England team became a successful England team. It’s a journey that actually began four years ago – after an unsuccessful World Cup play-off in Brazil. It’s a programme that builds on the investment in young players that has previously led to England winning gold at the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups, as well as the Under-19 European Championship.
“We were lucky to have the financial support from the FA. We planned well and learned as much as we could. Then we started to have success with the younger age groups, but it is a process,” Gareth Southgate tells The Guardian.
There is more potential than that, he continues.
Light the fire on your way to success
– This team is nowhere near the level they could be, partly due to their age (England have the third-youngest World Cup squad on average), but also because they will gain more experience in big games in the coming years.
Southgate believes the work they have done has paved the way for future success too.
– We have a core of young players in this team who we believe will take us forward, and others who come in at younger age levels and have good experience. Who have the belief that they can win – but also expect it.
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