DOHA — John Terry just cannot let go. An England team that he captained should have at least got to the final of a major tournament, with the players that several of the game’s top managers had at their disposal in the first decade of the 21st century, but underachievement was endemic.
The current crop of English talent is another that has been labelled a golden generation. Only this time, while going all the way remains elusive thus far under Gareth Southgate, England are starting to at least have the swagger of a nation comfortable with being regarded as one of the favourites at a major tournament.
That aura of excellence that Southgate has helped instil is no accident. While previous tournaments were dominated by drunken tales of shame and WAGs at war, this current England setup can roam as they please, mingle with journalists, beat them at darts before being entrusted to do the job on the pitch – a system that has not always been the case.
“When I look back individually at that team in 2006, it’s a shame that we didn’t go on to achieve what we should have achieved,” Terry tells i.
“I think the young players now are actually fearless. The way Gareth has got them all together is also very different to when we played. They feel comfortable saying what they want to say, having their opinion on social media or in their interviews.
“They’re very relaxed in and around the England camps. And I think that’s a big thing – being relaxed in their own environment. You didn’t need to tell us what to do but people tried when we played for England. When I was England captain it was the main thing I tried to stop.
“We were locked in our hotel rooms for long periods. You trained, had lunch at 12, then you would come back down for dinner at seven. Can we play golf? No. Can we go shopping? No. Can we go into London and have food? No. We are talking like three or four nights before the game, not the night before. So that freedom wasn’t there then.
“Is it an excuse why we didn’t win things? No, that’s just the facts of the matter. But it’s the little differences though, isn’t it? I just love what these guys have got now.”
Maintaining buoyancy in the camp has been at the heart of everything Southgate stands for ever since he took over the Under-21s in 2013. One player who has benefitted from being around such positivity in Qatar is Harry Maguire, given the difficulties he has faced since his ordeal with the Greek police in Mykonos two years ago.
Terry is aware what it feels like being in the headlines for the wrong reasons, making his admiration for Maguire’s impressive form at this World Cup all the more palpable.
“Everywhere you look, every time the TV is on, it’s England at the World Cup,” Terry continues. “The main focus on England coming into this World Cup was Harry Maguire. I think we see the type of character he is, the way he is performing under so much pressure, not only on him but for his family who are in the stadium, hoping he doesn’t make a mistake and things go well for him.
“He has been absolutely first class and I think, as England fans, we get right behind Harry Maguire. Man United have been in a difficult spell the last two years and as Man United captain he has suffered the brunt of that, which is unfair on one player. And I’m delighted for him that he’s playing so well.”
Maguire was booed by his own fans in the Nations League as recently as this summer, but it was his name that was sung after the final group match against Wales – just another feel-good story in this sea of tranquillity that is Gareth Southgate’s England.
That positive feeling can quickly disperse, with France possessing a player capable of sending England crashing out in the quarter-final stage, a staple of Terry’s time with his country.
Terry is confident, however, that Kylian Mbappe can be stopped on Saturday. And if Operation Stop Mbappe is executed correctly, England can continue dreaming of that long-awaited trophy.
“If anyone is going to stop him, it’s going to be Kyle Walker,” Terry adds. “He’s played against him for Man City against PSG. And obviously they know each other very well. But from a speed point of view, Walker is probably the quickest thing in the Premier League. Defensively very, very good. So it’s great for us to have him in that position and back fully fit.
“I think Mbappe is like Thierry Henry, just the way he glides on the pitch and it looks like he doesn’t touch the grass. Thankfully, Henry played on the left, and I was left side defenders. I was far away from him, but I think if you looked at Kyle Walker’s interview, he’s looking forward to the challenge of facing Mbappe and as a player you want to play against the very best players in the world. You want to test yourself against the best. Can that go well? Absolutely.”
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