Gareth Southgate said nothing was impossible for England and urged his players to embrace the excitement of a World Cup before they face Iran in their opening game on Monday afternoon.
England’s head coach struck a positive tone as he shifted his focus to matters on the pitch, insisting his players should feel pride at representing their country on the world stage despite the controversy surrounding Qatar’s hosting of the tournament, and he was keen to move on from the negativity that has stalked his side for much of this year.
