England come into Euro 2024 as one of the tournament favourites, but many fans believe they should be coming into the tournament as holders.
Let's take a look why.
England was in crisis back in 2021, with an on-going pandemic, political scandals and instability plaguing a divided nation.
The country had never been so divided. It needed bringing together.
Let’s look at the highs and lows of England’s Euro 2020 campaign, when football was fingertips away from coming home, but instead, went to Rome.
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The Group
First up were Croatia, who broke the Three Lions’ hearts at the previous World Cup, knocking them out in extra-time to deny England a place in a first final since 1966.
Southgate’s side were out for revenge.
The second team need no explanation… arch-rivals Scotland.
A solid Czechia team rounded up a group full of potential banana skins, with all three teams capable of causing major problems for any side.
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The manager
In the dug-out for his first Euros was the polarising Gareth Southgate, who had led England to a first World Cup semi-final since 1990 in Russia three years before, but a number of England fans were growing stale of the former-defenders pragmatic approach.
Previous to Southgate’s appointment in 2016, Roy Hodgson’s Three Lions finished bottom of the group at the 2014 World Cup, and were embarrassed by Iceland in the round of 16 at Euro 2016.
With expectations on the floor, Southgate led a new-look England to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, where England would fall short in extra-time 2-1 against Croatia.
The 57-capped international had restored the pride in the national team in 2018 and was ready to go one better in 2021.
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How did they do?
Southgate’s pragmatic approach continued into the Group stages, which saw the Three Lions score just two goals in three uninspiring performances, but most importantly they progressed with relative ease.
Raheem Sterling netted a 57th minute goal against Croatia in England’s opener, but the highly anticipated Scotland game turned out to be a snooze fest, ending in a 0-0 ‘bore draw’.
Sterling was England’s hero against Czechia, as he netted the winner which ensured the Three Lions topped the group for the first time in a major tournament since Euro 2012.
But it was the knockouts where England’s campaign sparked into life.
They would meet fierce rivals Germany in a blockbuster round of 16 game, and once again, it was Sterling who came up with an all-important goal.
In a strike which sent every home, fan park or beer garden in the nation into a frenzy, Wembley went bonkers as Sterling tapped in from a Luke Shaw cross to open the scoring on 75 minutes.
Captain Harry Kane grabbed his first goal of the tournament to put a cherry on top of a professional performance to give England a famous 2-0 win.
With a place in the quarter finals secured and a fortunate route to the final opening up, just now did the nation start to believe for the first time.
England took on Ukraine in the quarter-finals and Harry Kane settled some early nerves as he put his nation in-front after four minutes.
Goals from Harry Maguire, another from Kane and a first England goal from Jordan Henderson gave the Three Lions a comprehensive 4-0 and a spot in the semis for a second successive tournament. They couldn’t, could they?
The semi finals came calling and inside a Wembley that had started to dream, England got the better of Denmark, but they made hard work of it.
Southgate’s men went behind as they conceded their first goal of the tournament, and what a goal it was, too.
Mikkel Damsgaard’s free-kick flew past Jordan Pickford to give his side the lead, but were pegged back thanks to an own goal from Simon Kjaer nine minutes later.
The game went into extra-time on a knife edge at 1-1, but this England team wasn’t ready to give in just yet, as a Harry Kane goal on 104 minutes took England into their first ever Euros final.
Could they do it?
Southgate’s men would meet Italy in the final and at 8:02pm on Sunday, July 11, 2021, England found themselves in a position they hadn’t been in 55 years, in the lead in a major final.
A quick counterattack saw Harry Kane drop deep and ping the ball out to Kieran Tripper, whose cross met the on-rushing Luke Shaw, who smashed home to put England in dreamland after two minutes.
Southgate’s tactical approach saw England sit back and protect their lead, but England’s defence was eventually broken down on 67 minutes by central defender Leonardo Bonucci, who tapped home from point-blank range to level the final.
Chances were few and far between in the latter stages, and a cagey extra-time saw the final go to penalties at Wembley.
Domenico Beradi and Harry Kane both scored their penalties to open up the shoot-out, and then the drama started...
Jordan Pickford put England in dreamland when he dove to his left and kept Andrea Belotti's effort out.
Up next was Harry Maguire, who almost broke the net with England’s next spot-kick, to put the Three Lions in control of the shoot-out, surely this was it?
Goal scorer in normal time Bonucci was next and much like Maguire before him, smashed a confident penalty into the top corner.
And then it all came crashing down for Southgate’s men.
Substitute Marcus Rashford’s penalty struck the post, while Federico Bernardeschi scored past Pickford to make the score 3-2 to the Italians, with England to take next.
Jadon Sancho, who was also subbed on for penalties, was up next, but failed to beat Player of the Tournament Gianluigi Donnarumma to give the advantage to Roberto Mancini's men.
The situation was simple, if penalty specialist Jorginho scores, Italy are European Champions.
Jordan Pickford stepped up once again in the England goal, diving to his right to tip the midfielder’s effort onto the post.
England were still alive but had to score.
Teenager Bukayo Saka was the man for the job, but once again Donnarumma was up to it, diving to his left to make a comfortable save and that was it… Euro 2020 Champions: Italy.
England’s penalty curse would haunt them again, they were on the cusp of bringing football home at Wembley but instead, it became 55 years of hurt.
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How did their Euro 24 qualifying go?
Gareth Southgate’s men qualified for a fourth consecutive Euros with ease, topping a potentially difficult qualifying group containing the likes of Italy, Ukraine and North Macedonia unbeaten.
In their eight games, England only dropped four points, away to Ukraine and North Macedonia on the final matchday and only conceded four times.
England have suffered heartbreak in tournament after tournament, penalty defeat after penalty defeat, embarrassment after embarrassment, is this finally the time for Gareth Southgate to turn all those ‘oh so nears’ into a major trophy?
