England chase the win that sends a big message

Southgate has gone from unloved England boss to the nation’s favourite... now he’s calling on his boys to grab their chance against World No.3 Belgium

GARETH SOUTHGATE insists England’s young lions are ready to roar and claims they have already made the fans proud.

He will make changes for the Group G decider with Roberto Martinez’s Belgium but is determined to send out a message of intent by beating one of the favourites for the World Cup.

“We can’t consider ourselves a top team until we start to beat those top teams,” said Southgate. “We’ve needed to test ourselves against the very best,

GARETH SOUTHGATE takes another step tonight on a remarkable journey which has taken him from rejecting the England job to the height of popularity.

Two years ago to the day, Southgate got a call asking him to replace Roy Hodgson on an interim basis after the latter quit following the Iceland humiliation at Euro 2016.

Having said no, Southgate admits that he feels lucky to have been given a second chance when Sam Allardyce was sacked after one game.

Now he finds himself on top of the world, having reinvented himself and the England team.

Southgate said: “I’m very fortunate. I wanted it to go well for Roy, and I wanted it to go well for Sam.

“When Roy left I didn’t think there would be any enthusiasm for an internal appointment.

“But then Chris Coleman said after the Euros you have got to go for things in life and don’t be afraid to fail.

“That resonated with me because I’d just ruled myself out of the job.

“I’d be saying the same things as Chris to young people – even my own kids – but I wasn’t living it.

“So I felt that I had to make sure that if there were further opportunities in life I had to go for it. Even as a young player you maybe only get one World Cup. You assume there will be more, but you might only get one because of an injury or something else.”

It would be rewriting history to suggest that Southgate’s appointment after Allardyce’s dismissal was anything but underwhelming.

A chequered record as England Under-21 boss and relegation with Middlesbrough were stains on his CV. But here we are now in the World Cup, the feel-good factor around the England team has returned with a place in the last 16 secured, and they have a chance against Belgium – the team ranked No.3 in the world – to prove they belong in elite company.

“My life and my career in football have taught me not to get carried away with that at all, but to maintain a level and to keep on improving and getting better,” said Southgate.

“What is lovely is the enthusiasm from people at home and the engagement with the team – they deserve that because of who they are and what they want to do. But I’ve also got to make sure that they keep grounded and keep getting better because we are going to have to if we want to progress as far as we want to.”

Southgate’s worst moment in his England career as a player was undoubtedly missing THAT penalty in the shoot-out against Germany in the semi-final of Euro 96.

But perhaps even more instructive for his time as a manager came in 2002, when he went to the World Cup under Sven-Goran Eriksson and did not play a minute. That is why he wants to involve the whole squad this time, with changes likely tonight against Belgium.

However, he warned England cannot take anything for granted after seeing Germany crash out of the World Cup.

Amusingly, the news filtered through midway through Southgate’s press conference and it was difficult to mask the look of shock on faces.

He added: “I’m surprised. I was here last summer for the Confederations Cup and they brought a young team, and also won the U21s. It’s unusual to see them struggle as much as they have.

“We’ve learned an enormous amount from studying Germany as a team, last summer not least, and implemented that.

“But in sport you have to keep evolving. It just shows anyone is vulnerable on any given day.”