England v Italy: Inspirational England help heal national sporting psyche before historic final
By BBC sports editor Dan Roan& Alistair Magowan
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For all the sporting success England has enjoyed over the past 20 years, its men s football team remains the one which, for most people, determines the sporting identity of the nation.
Over the past two decades there have been memorable and long-awaited World Cup wins for England teams in rugby union and cricket, and the country has, of course, played a major part in Britain s emergence as an Olympic and Paralympic superpower.
Yet, until recently, the football team had proved stubbornly unable to follow suit. An outlier.
opinion or not, leaving foden, greenish, sancho out, playing kieran trippierat greenish, sancho out, playing kieran trippier at left back, he s done the best thing he sees fit for the team, regardless of status or how these players are. that s the biggest compliment. gareth southgate has been so impressive and measured and impressive and measured and impressive as he was when he was the fa s head of elite development. that was a role he held. he had such a say in the blueprints behind saint george s park, the england training camp they have so enjoyed staying at. it open to nine years ago. he set up the way that it operates, bringing all the england age groups together, the women s team, the developmental teams, the disabled teams, as well. all in one place. and this whole england environment has benefited from that. mike rigg was also part of the team that helped to establish st george s park. he s very complimentary about
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