So here we are about to embark on yet another World Cup extravaganza with England standing at the crossroads between success and failure.
Can Callum Wilson add to his four England caps and one international goal as back up to skipper Harry Kane after a three year exile? Can Kieran Trippier become Newcastle's blue chip player as an England regular?
Will Nick Pope be given a chance to redeem himself after his last - for him - inexplicable international performance against Germany at Wembley in September?
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And here's a long shot: can Trippier, Wilson and Pope claim World Cup winners medals like Ashington brothers Bobby and Jack Charlton at the end of a six week interruption to the Premier League?
I believe Wilson will need another hat box even if only playing as a sub, Trippier will be a significant figure, Pope will find it hard to dislodge Sunderland's own Jordan Pickford simply because he is a Gareth Southgate favourite, and as for England becoming world champions we can only but dream!
One thing is for certain: a rejuvenated, swashbuckling Newcastle United have presented England with three players in the form of their lives.
It all begins on Monday when Iran come to the opening party. Not the harshest of starts but then after England's recent form we need to grow into the tournament.
We are told Iran will be far from a pushover having drawn with Senegal and beaten Uruguay of late but, frankly, if England get worried about them - or other group rivals USA and Wales for that matter - then they can forget all about perhaps nicking the trophy.
Iran are coached by former Manchester United coach Carlos Queiroz and their star men are Bayer Leverskusen striker Sardar Azmoun and Porto's Medhi Taremi. However they ought to be more in awe of Kane and his cohorts.
Southgate's record in big tournaments promises much, bordering on excellent, but the question is: has he gone as far as he can?
In 2018 he became only the third England manager (after Alf Ramsey and Bobby Robson) to reach a World Cup semi-final and three years later he established himself as the first ever boss to lead his country to the European Championship final where agonisingly England lost to Italy in a penalty shoot-out.
That team at Wembley included Trippier at right-back. Kieran will be desperate to take a significant step further. However, England's so called Golden Generation of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole, John Terry and Gary Neville actually won not a thing so it is difficult to make out a case for Trippier and Co to do better... unless Southgate can suddenly transform himself into miracle worker Eddie Howe!
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I have covered England at World Cups right from that glorious summer of 1966 through to Japan in 2002 and at this stage, on the eve of the tournament, hopes have inevitably been high. Reality has taken a little longer to dawn.
Yet I have so many memories. Yes, of Wor Bobby and Geoff Hurst, little knobbly knees Nobby Stiles and the elegant Bobby Moore, Gordon Banks and Big Jack winning the Jules Rimet Trophy.
But also of the Brazil side of 1970 in Mexico, the greatest football machine I have ever witnessed highlighted by the genius of Pele, and Italia 90 when only a penalty shoot-out prevented star people in Newcastle's history like Gazza, Chris Waddle, Peter Beardsley and Sir Bobby making the final.
Then there was France 1998 won by the host nation with a Newcastle bound Stephane Guivarc'h failing to score a solitary goal and David Beckham getting sent off for lashing out at Argentina's Diego Simone, Alan Shearer scoring a penalty, and an 18-year-old Michael Owen slaloming through their defence to spectacularly herald his arrival on the international stadium.
I eventually travelled throughout Japan for the first World Cup finals of the 21st century watching with satisfaction as Becks gained his revenge on Argentina with a penalty winner.
Such was the Hollywood idol status of England's finest that Japanese girls camped outside the England hotel 24 hours a day and even when ordinary hacks like me emerged we were inundated with pressies and pleadings to pass them on to David. I had enough geisha fans inscribed with messages to cause a gale!
My hope is that Trippier justifies himself, Wilson adds to his cap collection, and Pope is more than the water boy. And that all three come home fighting fit to rejoin Newcastle United's exciting Premier League charge.
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