As England prepare to take on Iran in their opening match of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, former Everton and Rangers star Trevor Steven will know exactly how Gareth Southgate ’s men are feeling.
The 36-time international was selected by Sir Bobby Robson at both the 1986 and 1990 tournaments in Mexico and Italy. Those were two World Cups that he suggests were “landmarks” in not only his career but also on the footballing and social landscapes as a whole.
The Three Lions enjoyed excellent campaigns in each tournament as they reached the quarter-finals in Mexico before following that up with a stunning run to the semi-finals four years later. With a number of the current squad preparing for the first-ever appearances at a World Cup, Steven has given a valuable insight into the emotions that Southgate’s squad will be feeling.
Speaking exclusively to Mirror Sport , the now 59-year-old said: “That momentous whirlwind of emotion that it brings to you. You can ask any of the players that have been selected in previous tournaments that it is a sigh of relief, when you’re actually fit, when you’re actually picked.
“It’s a huge landmark in anyone’s career. Once you get that vote of confidence from your manager, you believe in what you’re doing, you believe in your performances and you’re just thankful you’re fit, you’re ready and you’ve done enough to get a place. It’s just an exaltation of personal pride I think is very much what it’s about really.”
In being selected for the England squad, the attention surrounding the side ramped up ahead of their trip to Mexico - something that took Steven by surprise. Reality then soon set in though with the isolation and solitary nature of a World Cup camp taking hold.
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In an effort to keep entertained, some players have even resorted to watching each other’s wedding videos, while the Three Lions’ squad in 1986 were forced to schedule phone calls home three days in advance.
Luckily though, one man was on hand during England’s run to the semi-finals in Italy - the mercurial Paul Gascoigne. Speaking about the Three Lions icon’s presence, Steven said: “Paul [Gascoigne] is all the way through his career and through his life is a whirlwind. He’s from my part of the world and he and I got on great. I understood him.
“He very much had to be doing something at all times and when I say all times, I mean every five seconds. If he’s quiet, he takes five paces without saying something or joking about something or pulling a prank, it wouldn’t be Gazza.
“You had that and you had Chris Waddle rooming with him. Goodness knows what that was like! I never had that thrill of rooming with Paul Gascoigne.
“Paul was a one-off of a character. To match that, he had one-off abilities and self-belief. He was a special ingredient that we had in our camp going into the World Cup and no one would deny that at all. He was very much a spark plug in that dressing room.”
Gascoigne was involved in one of the most iconic images of England’s run to the semi-finals - his foul on West Germany’s Thomas Berthold resulting in him receiving a booking. The yellow card would result in the midfielder missing the final should the Three Lions have reached it - triggering a look of despair from Gascoigne himself and Gary Lineker ’s infamous glance towards the coaching bench.
Whilst recognising his tackle was indeed a foul, Steven hailed the iconic midfielder’s performance in the face of adversity - something that only added to the drama of Italia 90. England eventually succumbed to a penalty shootout defeat to the West Germans.
“Of course, his foul was 100% a yellow card and it was reckless but that was just pure adrenaline and pure will to win that undid him in the end,” he said. “Having said that, his performance afterwards in knowing he wasn’t going to play in a World Cup final was brilliant for the last period of the game.
“It was a great demonstration of how much he believed in himself and couldn’t see anything beyond the white lines of the football field. Paul, particularly in that last period of the game, it was like there was nobody else in the world but him, a football, us and the green shirts of West Germany.
“That World Cup was a huge moment in time both on and off the field across countries and nations. We were playing in what was the heartbeat of world football at that time in Italy. It couldn’t have been more dramatic in any regard.
“Everything you see, it was ten times more when you were there. It was like Hollywood. It was vibrant: Pavarotti, Nesun Dorma, the whole thing was poetic as a World Cup.”
The current crop of players donning the white - or indeed red - of England are aiming to emulate Steven’s iteration with the Three Lions bettering their performance of 1986 four years later. Like Gascoigne in Italy, Steven is anticipating a midfielder to be key for England as they attempt to improve on their semi-final finish in Russia.
Steven said: “I honestly think that we need Jude Bellingham to have a really strong tournament. If he has a strong tournament, I think England could go a long, long way.
“It sounds a bit bizarre to put that importance on someone so young but his style and profile as a footballer is very rare because of his combativity, very competitive, his ability to go from one box to the next, stamina, bravery.
“It kind of reminds me a little bit of Brian Robson, that lion-hearted kind of guy. If Jude can get really involved in football matches then I think we’ve got a real ace up our sleeves there. I think he’s still got so much more to give but what better place than to absolutely rubber-stamp who you are than a World Cup?”
