Now the 47-year-old former England global is leading the team, which plays Croatia at 8pm tonight in England’s first World Cup semi-final in 28 years.
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England coach Gareth Southgate.
“We’re only the second team to reach a semi-final out of our country, and that’s quite significant”.
“I’m just so proud of all the squad and Gareth because they’re all working together and doing the country proud”, he said.
Southgate said England’s dramatic improvement since Euro 2016, which ended with a humiliating defeat by Iceland in the last-16, was down to the FA’s backing.
As England approach the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time in almost 30 years, fans across the nation are wearing their waistcoats today, in a bid to bring it home. “The improvement and the hunger in the players is very clear for everyone to see”, he added.
As the game commenced, Kieran Trippier’s early free kick gave the Three Lions the lead at half time with a brilliant strike.
“We’ve defended well, scored in the last minute, conceded in the last minute, come through extra-time and (in) penalties”.
On the eve of the game, England manager Southgate said he hoped the team’s successful run at the tournament would help unify the country after “some hard moments” in recent years – an apparent reference to Brexit.
He added: “Our country has been through some hard moments recently in terms of its unity, and sport has the power to do that (unite people)”. The coach is trying to paper the overweening emotions with talks of honour and privilege and the routine “we will try to continue this enjoyable journey” comments.
As the nation waits with bated breath for tonight’s 7pm kick-off, we’ve been speaking to fans in Ipswich on how they think Gareth Southgate’s heroes will do. The teams meet at Rodney Parade on August 31.
“None of us are satisfied and none of us are particularly hyped up”.
Daniel Ries, in his late 20s, was in no doubt of the match’s importance: “It’s the biggest game of our generation”, he told Reuters. You are just nitpicking a bad performance.
Liverpool holding Jordan Henderson will be one of the first names on Southgate’s team sheet on Wednesday.
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During his time at the school, he emerged as a star in the MK Dons academy and eventually earned a big-money move to Tottenham after impressing in League One.
