I think one the very earliest memories I have of the England national team, was of Ronald Koeman hauling down David Platt in Rotterdam, as he honed in on goal during a World Cup qualifier with the Netherlands in 1993. A cynical, professional foul with the game firmly in the balance at 0-0. It was a borderline penalty decision but a certain sending off. Referee Karl-Josef Assenmacher gave neither. Koeman survived an early bath. From the resulting dead ball at the edge of the area, Tony Dorigo's shot was charged down and just five minutes later, Koeman himself dinked a free kick past a helpless David Seaman to open the scoring in the 62nd minute. He shouldn't have been on the pitch. The imperious Dennis Bergkamp added another goal six minutes later and England lost the game 2-0. A World Cup dream and trip to visit our American cousins for USA '94 was over. I remember Graham Taylor's face being plastered all over the newspapers as his tenure as national boss came to an end a month later.
It was time for a reset. The European Championships in 1996 were on home soil. It was a tournament that became the new long term target for English success. It was a tournament that captured the hearts of the nation, including mine. Paul Gascoigne. Scotland. Uri Geller. Dutch revenge and Gareth Southgate's missed penalty. Sadly, a victorious Germany. I realised what it all meant, a nation united for one cause, which was to win the Euros at Wembley; a cathedral of football and the game's spiritual home.
England were beaten semi-finalists and I was heartbroken. It was my first real footballing heartache. I'll admit, it felt even worse in 2021. Missed opportunities. Looking back, I still think we should have won Euro 2004 too. Now though, 2024 presents us with another fantastic chance to right the wrongs of England teams on the big stage. A chance for Gareth Southgate's squad of players to finally immortalise themselves and cement their places among the greats of the English game. It is a chance we simply have to take.
I write this after what for me, is usually venturing into enemy territory, when it comes to matches at Newcastle United's St James' Park. Being a Sunderland fan, I rarely venture inside the ground, unless the two clubs play each other of course. I went to see a World Cup Qualifier in September 2001, with England beating Albania that night 2-0; the goals coming courtesy of Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler. Prior to that I saw Belgium's visit to the Stadium of Light in 1999. It still rankles with me that Kevin Keegan subbed Kevin Phillips after only 58 minutes that day!
One of the truly great nights that I've had inside a football ground came when England hosted Turkey under the lights for a midweek game, again in Sunderland for a European Championship Qualifier in 2003. Wayne Rooney, who was still six months shy of his 18th birthday, put in a magical performance that night. To play the game with that sort of intensity, vigour, aggression and desire at 17 years of age was some sight, in a game of that magnitude too. It was a pleasure to be inside the Stadium of Light to witness it. I have seen Rooney play many times over the years, but that night against Turkey will always resonate with me, as will the first time I saw him in 2002 whilst still an Everton player. He was a special talent, bordering on world class at such a young age, and by the time the Euros had came around the following summer, he cemented his place as the most coveted young player on the planet, lighting up the tournament with four goals and a string of top performances. After moving to Manchester United, the rest as they say, is history. For me, he is one of the most naturally gifted players that England has ever produced.
I managed to take in a game at the newly built Wembley for a 5-0 win against San Marino in 2012. That night, as I sat taking in the surroundings and the sheer magnificence of the stadium, it did cross my mind whether I would actually get to see Sunderland play there. Thankfully for me, that has indeed materialized. I also took in a friendly with Australia back in Sunderland just before Euro 2016.
What going to see England does do, is give the ordinary fan the chance to see some elite, world class players up close and in the flesh. That side I saw against Albania 23 years ago contained Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and of course, Golden Balls himself, David Beckham. Some are fortunate enough that they can see top international players on a weekly basis if your own club happens to compete in the Premier League, (a distant memory for me at the minute and looking back, certainly something that I took for granted) but we must remember that the national team is for everyone. For some fans, England's success matters more than their club side. Like many other supporters, I am a big advocate of the national side playing games around the country. As spectacular and historic as Wembley is, not every England international has to be played there.
This time round though in Newcastle, I was in attendance with my son, for the visit of Bosnia & Herzegovina.
At St James' Park, I sat with a family of Crystal Palace fans inside the ground. There were West Brom and Stoke City flags adorning the stands around the stadium. Someone even managed to sneak in a Sunderland one. The England team unites football fans like nothing else. A country full of hope and expectation as another major tournament is on the horizon. Most people are convinced that, once again, this will indeed be England's year.
Which brings me on to the current crop of stars at Gareth Southgate's disposal. Expectation is always huge when it comes to England and major tournaments. This one will be no different. I think we have the strongest squad of players at the Euros. We are missing some key figures, most notably Harry Maguire and a somewhat unfit Luke Shaw. Shaw has travelled, but how effective he will be when called upon remains to be seen. Defensive solidity is a slight concern as the competition gets under way. There were some notable absentees also. Jack Grealish was I feel, somewhat surprisingly omitted from the squad. The Manchester City wide-man can often divide opinion, but he is playing with some of the greatest players on the planet at club level, and for the best manager in the business. Against Bosnia & Herzegovina, I thought he put in a strong performance from the bench. Never once did I think that he wouldn't be on the plane to Germany. The fact that Marcus Rashford and James Maddison will also stay at home shows the strength in depth at England's disposal.
Euro 2024 feels like the tournament that England have to win, particularly after a culmination of near misses. Gareth Southgate came close at the World Cup in 2018, and even closer at the last Euros. That tournament really captured the nation, possibly more than it ever has. The green shoots of recovery from a pandemic that had disrupted and plagued our lives was under way, with international football becoming a vehicle for millions of people to channel their new found hope and freedom. We were a penalty shootout away from achieving our dreams that fateful night against the Italians at Wembley. This time around though, the expectations are at heights never seen before at the start of a tournament. England are always amongst a batch of footballing powerhouses that are expected to do well on the biggest of international stages. This time around though, it feels slightly different. Can we banish the ghosts of the past? Bury my own international tournament demons? Like David Beckham, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney before him, Jude Bellingham is the great new beacon of hope. We have captain and talisman Harry Kane entering the Euros after a stellar personal campaign in Munich. We have a national team manager determined to achieve what only Sir Alf Ramsey has done before him; deliver a trophy to the nation. It would be a special achievement.
Can the players deliver? Can Gareth Southgate deliver? England no longer hopes in 2024. England expects.
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