There have been plenty of periods of pessimism if you're an England fan - but now is not the time.
Semi-finalists at the last World Cup and runners-up at Euro 2020, the sequence dictates that the Three Lions will continue their tournament improvements by bringing home the trophy from Qatar.
To add to the sense of optimism, Mirror Football looks back on England’s five best performances under Gareth Southgate. And we haven’t even had to dip into friendly internationals to complete the list...
England 6 Panama 1 (World Cup, June 24, 2018)
England’s biggest World Cup win was over lowly Panama (ranked 55 in the world) but it was the unexpected margin of victory which helps it find its way into our top five.
Stifling heat in Nizhny Novgorod, a patchy win over Tunisia first up and an opponent with nothing to lose all combined to heap the pressure on Southgate’s side. However, the shackles came off in a ruthless first-half performance that saw England score five without reply.
John Stones’ first international goal started it all off, with Harry Kane adding two - before completing his hat-trick in the second period - and Jesse Lingard providing a long-range effort. The victory temporarily put England top of their group and not even a defeat by Belgium in the group’s dead rubber could puncture the optimism which lasted all the way to Kieran’s Trippier’s fourth-minute strike in the semi-final against Croatia.
England 2 Croatia 1 (Nations League, November 18, 2018)
It may not have had the high stakes of a World Cup semi-final, but the prospect of Nations League progression and the chance to exact revenge for their extra-time exit gave this fixture added resonance for England.
A packed Wembley helped elevate this game above the usual Nations League fare but despite England’s dominance, it was Croatia who scored first courtesy of a deflected effort from Andrej Kramaric in the 57th minute.
Dele Alli, Jadon Sancho and Jesse Lingard were thrown on as Southgate threw caution to the wind and it was Lingard who pulled England level, converting from close range from a Kane flick. Lingard cleared a header from Domagoj Vida off the line as Croatia tried to respond before Kane slid in to score the 20th goal of his England career in the 85th minute.
Emotions were uncorked as the Three Lions exorcised the demons of their World Cup defeat four months earlier and they comfortably saw out the remaining minutes to pip Spain to top spot in the group.
Have Your Say! Which England game was your favourite under Southgate? Tell us in the comments section!
England 5 Czech Republic 0 (Euro 2020 qualifying, March 22, 2019)
Qualifying campaigns are so often a procession for England, filled with thrashings of the likes of San Marino, Montenegro and Albania. However, to put five past a Czech Republic side who came into the game on the back of successive wins against Poland and Slovakia elevated it above the ordinary.
Raheem Sterling was the man who took centre stage, rewarding Southgate’s faith in him with a hat-trick at Wembley. Kane was also on the scoresheet, with an own-goal from Tomas Kalas rounding off the scoring for a rampant England.
England 4 Iceland 0 (Nations League, Nov 18, 2020)
Iceland’s defeat of Roy Hodgson’s England in 2016 meant they were taken much more seriously when the teams met in November 2020. Nevertheless, that didn’t prevent Southgate fielding a side with four players aged 21 and under, with another 20-year-old in Jadon Sancho coming off the bench.
That three of the four starting youngsters - Phil Foden, Mason Mount and Declan Rice - made up the goalscorers provided plenty of optimism for the future. "The kids are alright," enthused the Daily Mirror, while Southgate said Foden "will be fabulous for England for years". If it is peak England optimism you need, this is the match to provide it.
England 4 Ukraine 0 (Euro 2020, July 3, 2021)
The world was already spinning off its axis before England’s clash with Ukraine courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Germany and a horror miss from the normally so reliable Thomas Muller in the previous round. So, when Southgate’s side followed up their landmark victory over the Germans with a 4-0 thumping of Ukraine, the nation’s mood was already long past fever pitch.
England overpowered Ukraine with a performance of high quality and composure, scoring twice in five minutes after half-time to kill off the tie. The second of those came from Kane, who had opened the scoring in the fifth minute to end any talk of him being dropped. Such was England’s dominance that there was even time for Jordan Henderson to score his first international goal - at the 62nd time of asking.
