Gareth Southgate believes the success his young England side have enjoyed in Russia has offered only a first glimpse of their potential, as the least experienced team at the tournament seek to go beyond Croatia and into a first World Cup final in 52 years.
England go into their semi-final at the Luzhniki Stadium with a fully fit squad and an opportunity tantalisingly within their grasp. Southgate pointed to the uniting effect the side’s exploits have had on a nation enduring “difficult moments” economically and politically, with the seniors poised to emulate the achievements of England’s world champion under‑17s and under‑20s, and the European Championship-winning under-19s.
The manager, formerly the head of elite development and the under‑21s coach, had played a key role in the Football Association adopting the England DNA blueprint after the dreadful showing at the 2014 World Cup, a strategy which championed best practice in scouting, coaching, development and preparation of young players, and which is reaping rewards. “I’ve been involved in all the plans really, right through the age groups,” he said. “To have seen our younger teams have success they have has been hugely rewarding.
“We know our academies at club level are producing really good players, technically good players. We made a lot of changes with the national teams that helped us be successful. We believe we have to continue doing that, to constantly evolve and improve. With this team, it’s the same. The experiences of the last few weeks, the milestones they’ve hit, will be a great reference point moving forward. The more big games we’re involved in, the more pressure situations they’re involved in and emerge from successful, the more belief it will build.
“We have a core group of young players in this squad we believe will take us forward, and others coming through the age-group teams with good experiences who have belief they can win, but also expectations that we should be in quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals more regularly. That’s what we wanted to do with our younger teams. All of that work is great but you really have to achieve at senior level in the end for that to be fulfilled. And we have a great opportunity now to get to a World Cup final.”
Eleven of Southgate’s 23-man squad in Russia had featured at Euro 2016, when that humiliating knockout defeat by Iceland had prompted new doubts over the FA’s long-term planning. “But sometimes you have to go through difficult times as a team, and failures, to learn and to improve,” said the manager. “There were a lot of young players involved in the team two years ago who suffered a huge disappointment, and we could have ignored that and tried to be positive and look to the future. But we felt it was important to learn from it, unpick it a bit, and find out why we’d gone so long without winning a knockout game.
“We’ve been fortunate the FA have backed us financially to bring in a lot of staff, experts in lots of fields: physical, medical, coaching, to offer good support for the players. We’ve planned really well, and learned as much as we can. We’re starting to see through the age groups some success because of that. But it’s an ongoing process. This team is nowhere near the level they’re going to be capable of, partly because of their age but also because they’ll have more big-match experiences over the next few years. We are excited about the future but we want to make the most of this opportunity as well.”
Expectations have risen as the team have progressed, with the players well aware of the frenzied scenes of celebration in England which have greeted each of their successes in Russia. Those victories at a time of political chaos, Southgate suggested, have had a wider impact back home.
“We’re really proud of the support we’re receiving,” he said. “We’ve had the chance to make a difference. Our supporters, our country, has had a long time of suffering in terms of football. But the enthusiasm for these players, not only because of the way they’ve played but how they’ve conducted themselves … they’ve been brilliant ambassadors for our country.
“Everybody can see they are proud to wear the shirt. It’s great for them that they’ve got some enjoyable experiences now playing for England. Our country has been through some difficult moments recently in terms of its unity, and sport has the power to unite. Football, in particular, has the power to do that. We can feel the energy and feel support from home and it’s a very special feeling, a privilege for us.”
Croatia, inspired by stellar performers in Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic, represent England’s most daunting opponents yet. “They’ll be the best team we’ve played in terms of what they’re capable of doing with the ball, and what individuals are capable of, definitely,” Southgate said. “For us as a team, it’s another chance to create a small piece of history.
“We’re only the second team to reach a semi-final out of our country, and that’s quite significant … I know we talked about the success of the younger teams, but this is a much harder, much bigger level for the players. The belief is building as things are happening. The more of these tests we can come through, the better, not just for now, but moving forward.”