Why England’s success is no accident

Tonight, Gareth Southgate’s England team have the opportunity to do something the Three Lions haven’t done for 55 years – reach the final of a major football tournament – and the most thrilling thing for England fans is the number of young players coming through. This isn’t just a team for this year, or the World Cup in Qatar next year, or even the next Euros in three years time. Many of these players are young enough to play for England for ten years to come.

England’s starting line-up against Ukraine only featured one player over 30, and three players in their early twenties (Jadon Sancho, 21, and Declan Rice and Mason Mount, both 22). Of the second half substitutes, Marcus Rashford, – already an England veteran, with 45 caps and an MBE to boot – is still only 23, while Jude Bellingham, incredibly, has only just turned 18. Over half the squad is 25 or under.