England manager Gareth Southgate believes the Three Lions are closer to ending their wait to win a first major tournament since 1966 than they have been for generations, with the Qatar World Cup little over a year away.

Southgate’s side return to action this week for the first time since losing the Euro 2020 final on penalties to Italy in three World Cup qualifiers against Hungary, Andorra and Poland.

Reaching Qatar should be a formality for a nation ranked fourth in the world, with expectations now to compete to win the World Cup for a second time rather than make up the numbers in the Middle East.

England’s fortunes have been transformed since Southgate succeeded Sam Allardyce as manager in 2016.

Continue reading this article on SportsDesk the sports website of the Times of Malta

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