Gareth eager to repeat ‘best day’
Southgate’s side to renew Dutch rivalry
NOT EVEN the presence of Ronald Koeman in the room could tarnish the very fondest memories England fans have of facing Holland.
June 18, 1996 – England went to Wembley needing a draw to reach the knockout stages of the European Championship against a team boasting Dennis Bergkamp, Clarence Seedorf, Ronald De Boer, Edwin van der Sar and Patrick Kluivert. Instead, they stuffed the Dutch 4-1 with the best football England had played since the 1966 World Cup.
The occasion was especially enjoyed by a young Crystal Palace defender making only his fifth England start at centre-back.
“It was brilliant – one of my best days in football, no question,” Gareth Southgate said after it had been determined his England side would be facing Holland in next summer’s UEFA Nations League semi-finals, the teams’ first competitive match since that memorable day.
“Very often when you think about those moments, all the colours are very vivid in your mind: the orange that their fans added to the stadium and the sunny, warm evening, the atmosphere and the quality of the game.
“They had some outstanding players and we had one of our best performances. It was a brilliant night to be involved in, one that has been talked about over the past couple of decades. I am sure the quality of the match in the summer will be of a very high level as well.”
Certainly it will be a meeting of two teams trying to recapture past successes in similar ways, by placing emphasis on youth.
Koeman was the player who many felt should have been sent off in a World Cup qualifier in 1993 before his free-kick goal effectively ended English hopes of reaching the 1994 finals. But having taking over as Holland boss before England beat them 1-0 in a March friendly, Koeman and Southgate have become regular companions.
“We see each other quite a lot at Premier League matches,” said the England manager. “We’ve talked about the game in March and how much we’ve both learnt from it. He’d only had a few days with the team at that point and you can see what he has put in place since.
“There are a lot of similarities, with young players coming through who are going to grow as a team, coupled with some outstanding more senior players already in the Premier League. It’s two teams who will play similarly and it’s a really good game to look forward to.”
Koeman is also looking forward rather than back. “This is a great opportunity,” he said.
“What has happened in the past is not important, leave it in the past. Looking forward is what makes football so good.
“It’s always a battle when it’s England against Holland. We have a lot of respect for this England side. A lot of our players are in the Premier League.
“I like the way Gareth has managed this side. He has given confidence and opportunities to young players and it’s the same way we like to do it in Holland. Young talent is the future for every football team.”
With such a mouth-watering encounter, it is a pity so few will get to see it. The immediate popularity of the Nations League was unforeseen and the stadium chosen to host the second semi-final holds just 30,000.
Even in Oporto, where hosts Portugal will play Switzerland in the other semi-final – and where the final will be played on June 9 – there is capacity for only 55,000. “UEFA have prepared the tournament in a good way,” said Koeman. “I’m not the right person to talk about the capacity of the stadium. My job is coaching Holland. UEFA are doing the best for the tournament.”
What would really be best for the tournament, though, is a great showpiece finale. And having been beaten semifinalists once already this year, England are determined to be part of it.
“You don’t get many opportunities at international level to actually win something, and we are trying to develop a winning mentality,” said Southgate.
“We’ve done that with our younger teams in terms of belief and we are now trying to build that with the senior players. This would be a step in the right direction.”
England against Holland is always a battle