Big Six’s core values give England World Cup hope
THERE are no 100-cap legends or world-famous icons in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Russia this summer.
Scratch the surface, however, and there is more room for encouragement than you realise. Having raised concerns over English players failing to get experience at the top end of club football, Southgate has seen a major improvement in his 18 months as national manager.
The Premier League’s top four — Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool — all have significant English representation and that has carried into elite European competition. For the first time, England will go to the World Cup with more than half the squad having played in the knockout stages of the Champions League during the season.
Thirteen of Southgate’s 20 outfield players have appeared in the latter stages of Europe’s biggest club competition. On Saturday, Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold will represent Liverpool in the final.
Will this knowhow help England? Southgate believes so, challenging the perception that his group of players are raw and untested. ‘I think it’s big,’ he says. ‘Look at the experience Henderson, Alex OxladeChamberlain, Adam Lallana and Trent have gained.
‘It was the same for the Spurs and Man City boys. They have been in big-match environments where they know what it takes — the commitment and mindset and hurdles to be overcome.’
Every outfield member of England’s squad bar Jamie Vardy and Harry Maguire is affiliated to a Big Six club, though Ruben Loftus-Cheek spent last season on loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea.
For Southgate, it’s a bonus that his players have won the trust of world-class managers such as Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp. ‘We are seeing that with Manchester City having a core of four English players most weeks, United having a core of English players, Liverpool the same,’ he points out.
‘They are working with top European coaches. There was always an assumption that European coaches will come here and pick foreign players. Pochettino has gone with an English core — that is a great message for our players. They can feed off of that, and the players they work with.’
The next step for those young players is to make the kind of international breakthrough that Paul Gascoigne did at Italia 90, Michael Owen in France 98 or Wayne Rooney at Euro 2004.
‘There are so many possible players in this group that this could be that moment for them,’ stresses Southgate. ‘Harry (Kane), Rash (Marcus Rashford), there are any number that could announce themselves. You perform in a World Cup and that announces you to the world. That’s the beauty of playing in an England shirt. You have the chance to make history in games that really matter and that people will remember forever.’
Of those candidates to rank alongside, or even surpass the golden generation, Dele Alli, of Spurs, might be considered the likeliest superstar-in-waiting.
Southgate is reluctant to make comparisons with Euro 96 teammate Gascoigne, but says of Alli: ‘When you look at the number of goals and assists this year he is right up there. He is still only 22 years old, it’s nothing, and I think his numbers are ahead of where Steven Gerrard and other people were at his age.
‘He is a player that should, and I am sure will, have a big impact for us this summer. He smells opportunity.’
One major decision that will have to be made soon is who will captain the country.
Kane’s advantage is that he is certain to start every game, while the other candidates, Henderson and Eric Dier, may be rivals for one holding midfield spot.
Even so, Henderson’s run as Liverpool skipper must count for something. ‘It was a huge task to fill the shoes of Steven Gerrard,’ says Southgate.
‘He is an impressive character, he is extremely focused, very resilient, very mature, understands responsibility for the group and I know he is a huge ally for Jurgen (Klopp).’