Southgate says prospects boosted for homegrown players and managers

England manager Gareth Southgate believes his team’s success in reaching the World Cup semi-finals has proved that English coaches and young players deserve a chance at the top of the game.

The Football Association went through an 11-year period of using foreign managers, when bar Steve Mcclaren failing to qualify for Euro 2008 the job went to Swede Svengoran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello. The return to a homegrown manager failed again with Roy Hodgson and recent times have been dark for English coaches, who are shunned by clubs in the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’.

Similarly, England’s best young players often find pathways into first teams blocked by the amount of money spent on signing recruits from around the world. Yet Southgate’s England squad was full of young English players who have grafted at clubs in the Football League in order to breakthrough in the Premier League, such as captain Harry Kane, midfielder Dele Alli, defender Harry Maguire and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

“We felt it was the chance to showcase what young English players can do,” said Southgate, pictured. “Also we hoped that we could strike a blow for English coaches as well because it’s not always been possible for English coaches to have this job and that’s why it is an honour to do it and to play in a way and get to a stage of a tournament that will hopefully inspire young coaches as well. I know the messages I have had from back home have helped them see what’s possible.”

While it may be a match most players would rather do without, the group still have the opportunity to record England’s second-best finish ever at a World Cup when they play Belgium in the third and fourth-place play-off in Saint Petersburg tomorrow. It would place them behind the world champions of 1966 and ahead of the Italia ’90 group, who lost their play-off.

Southgate has used the same starting XI for every match bar the final group game against Belgium when passage to the last-16 was already secure, but while he will be forced to make changes for tomorrow, due to injury and fatigue, England’s manager will consider the implications of winning.

Kieran Trippier injured his groin against Croatia and had to be helped from the field by two of England’s staff. Trent Alexander-arnold will replace him. Jordan Henderson also came off with tight hamstrings and is likely to be replaced by Eric Dier. Ashley Young has also struggled and Danny Rose will be brought in.