At the very end of a long, emotional night in Dortmund, Gareth Southgate reached for his heart and held it out to the room. Always generous to England’s travelling supporters, perhaps because he would be watching alongside them given half a chance, he reflected on the scenes of delirium still unfolding outside.
“We all want to be loved, right?” he said, half-laughing and not really asking a question at all. “So when you’re doing something for your country and you’re a proud Englishman, and you don’t feel that back and all you read is criticism, it’s so hard. To give our fans a night like this means a lot. We’re kindred spirits in many ways.”
