After 55 years of hurt, England stand one step from history

After waiting 55 years to take that final step, one more.

England’s heroes are still glowing in the history of reaching a first major tournament final for more than half a century, secured in thrilling fashion by the dramatic extra-time win over Denmark at Wembley on Wednesday.

It has been a tournament of historic moments for Gareth Southgate and his men as they first paid back Croatia for the pain of three years ago at the World Cup in Russia before settling the biggest score of all against Germany and a first win over their rivals in a competitive game for two decades.

A statement thrashing of Ukraine in the quarter-finals set up the final-four meeting with the Danes, where Harry Kane's late goal proved the difference and secured their place here.

And now the most historic step of all. If they can take it, that is.

There is no doubting that making the final at all is a significant milestone for a country that hasn't for so long. The feeling too is that this might not be their last chance either, that what has been built over the last few weeks and months and years is built to stand the test of time.

But whether that is proved true or not, now Southgate and his team are there at long last, there is no doubt they want to make it count.

"We've got to get this right now," he said ahead of Sunday's showpiece. "I know it won't be enough for me and for the rest of the staff and for the players if we don't if we don't win it now. You get lovely messages that say whatever happens now. But that won't be how it will be on Monday.

"I get the story, but it's been about how can we can we keep progressing, how do we push this team as far as we think we can. And I think we're in a position we deserve to be over the course of the tournament and I think we've got a 50-50 game against a really tough opponent."

It wasn't supposed to be like this, of course. Were it not for a pint of wine and a newspaper sting, Sam Allardyce may well have led this team into this tournament. However, in this footballing sliding door he was relegated with West Brom and Southgate has his side in a final.

It wasn't always easy either. It has been a long journey in the wake of Euro 2016 and the nadir of Iceland in Nice. Southgate and his coaching staff behind the scenes have worked tirelessly to turn things around and forge a new path and a new way of thinking, both on and off the pitch.

"It does take time," he says when asked about changing the culture of the team. "It took time for me to be brave enough to implement some of those things. At the start, you are dipping your toe in. You think how far can we go? You have to keep winning matches. We obviously had some players coming to the end of their international careers. We knew this younger group was coming through but how quickly can you make those changes?

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“I couldn’t say ‘yes, this was always the clear vision’ but the longer I have been in the role, the more I’ve understood the importance to our fans of that connection with the team.

"What hit me coming back from Russia was families coming up to me on the street, people coming up to me on the street from all backgrounds of our country and saying they felt they could go to a game now and not be abused at the stadium, connect with the team. They felt part of it.

"And that inclusivity is really important for us because I think that is what modern England is. We know it hasn’t always been the case and there are historic reasons for that. But that level of tolerance and inclusion is what we have to be about moving forward."

Now it all comes down to one game though and 90 minutes against an Italian side that most observers would agree have been the team of the tournament. Roberto Mancini's men are unbeaten in 33 matches and in plotting a path through the far more challenging half of the draw have seen off some of the best sides in the competition to be here.

That fact isn't lost on Southgate. He knows his team now have to be at their very best to achieve what they set out to do a month ago.

"We've got to get it right," he added. "We can win it, but we've got to get it spot on to win it. I said to the players yesterday all of these other bits, the legacy bits they have achieved. People are respecting how they've been and respecting that represented the country in the right way.

"But now they have a choice of what colour medal? And that's in the end is what, yesterday and today and tomorrow and the matchday are all about because their focus, their preparation is going to be spot on to achieve what they want."

After such a long and successful journey there is just one more step to take.