England vs Croatia: Reach the World Cup final and Gareth Southgate’s boys will be idolised forever
The Three Lions take on Croatia with the opportunity to write a glorious chapter into the history of the England team
IF THEY go on to reach the World Cup final, their lives will never be the same again.
England’s players will be revered, remembered and introduced everywhere they go as the first team to make it all the way since they won the thing in 1966.
Some of the greatest names in the game — Maradona, Pele, Zidane, Messi and Beckenbauer — played in World Cup finals.
So, too, could the 11 Englishmen Gareth Southgate will pick for the biggest night of their lives inside Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium tonight.
Harry Kane, England captain and World Cup finalist — how about that? It is on for these players.
They want this, choosing their words very, very carefully indeed on the eve of the biggest game of their international careers.
Victory over Croatia — a side in danger of burning out after being taken to extra-time in their last two games — will take England into Sunday’s final here in Moscow.
If that happens, if they can cross Croatia off the list in the same way they did with Tunisia, Panama, Colombia and Sweden, these boys will be heroes.
Southgate remains typically understated.
But the calls for knighthoods will grow louder if England can stop Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic from pulling the strings in the centre of midfield.
England’s head coach said: “Let me tell you, whether we win or lose the game my life will not change.
“I will go home, take the dogs for a run and disappear to Yorkshire. But it is, of course, a chance to be involved in something incredibly special.
“I have been in sport in different areas for long enough to know what my life is day to day. I will get more attention and it won’t be easy to go out for meals if I am in certain places — but it won’t change my view on the world or the things I attempt to do.”
England are in the mood for one more challenge.
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That much was clear yesterday when Southgate started to get a feel for this place when he arrived inside the Luzhniki Stadium with midfielder Jordan Henderson.
If the Three Lions beat Croatia they will be back here on Sunday, walking out for a World Cup final against Kylian Mbappe and France after they beat Belgium 1-0 last night thanks to Samuel Umtiti’s winner.
It is a remarkable story for a country that has not played a World Cup semi-final since Gazza started blubbering in Turin 28 years ago.
Southgate added: “We are only the third team from our country to reach a World Cup semi-final and that is quite significant. Most of the players weren’t born when a lot of the stories we are talking about happened, so why, as a coach, would I try and put that at their door?
“They should be judged on themselves, as a team. And, to be fair, the public have done that.
“They have seen we’ve got good lads who are incredibly proud to play. They are playing in a slightly different style to the one we’ve seen for a few years.
“They are playing with confidence on a big stage and so they should. We’ve got trust in them doing that.”
England are respected again, recognised as an orderly, passionate, focused bunch of footballers.
John Stones has come out of his shell at this tournament, playing some of the best football of his career in the heart of England’s defence against Colombia and Sweden.
Henderson, who speaks with authority and plays in the same way, has grown in stature with every one of those crucial interceptions. He is starting to see the game unfold before others. He will be critical this evening in stopping midfielders Modric and Rakitic from passing the ball around for fun in those striking Croatia shirts.
Southgate knows all about their qualities, but he is always reluctant to puff up opposition players too much.
He thinks it gives them a lift, that England would be on the run if he starts talking about their opponents’ star men in elevated, lofty terms.
The Three Lions boss admitted: “I’ve played in a lot of teams and — bloody hell — we played Nuneaton Borough in the cup once and I thought their centre-forward was Eusebio because we’d built him up that much in the pre-match briefing.
“You can overdo the information for players.
“The lads know these players, but also as a team we’ve had good defensive organisation.
“That has to be spot-on the further you go in the tournament.”
They have followed instructions so far, exceeding expectations with the results, the performances and their journey to the semi-final.
The reconnection with the fans is remarkable, with all that affection flooding into England’s training camp during their extended stay in Russia.
Win tonight and the love-in will last forever.