Hold your heads up

ENGLAND fans are waking up to that familiar gut-wrenching feeling this morning.

Once again, our hopes have been dashed just when we dared to believe it was coming home.

And even last night it looked to be going well for so long thanks to Kieran Trippier’s fabulous free-kick.

After the agony of defeat in extra-time against Croatia, it’ll be another four years before we can dream again.

However, for once our lads are heading home with a huge amount of credit and pride.

Yes, we lost, but for the first time in more than a decade the national side did not let us down.

The so-called “golden generation” were accused of never playing like a team, but that cannot be said of Gareth Southgate’s boys.

Just like their manager, the players were humble, united and refreshingly ego-free.

Hold your heads up high, lads.

You were all more than worthy of representing the Three Lions.