England vs Bulgaria: How Gareth Southgate’s squad became perfect remedy to superficial Golden Generation

Trent Alexander-Arnold spoke for England last week. “We are a team, not individuals,” the Liverpool full-back said. “We’re one big family.”

The subject was racism and the 21-year-old was talking about the side’s agreement that they will walk off the pitch if anyone is subjected to abuse against Bulgaria in Sofia tonight. But Alexander-Arnold’s words have wider ramifications, especially in the wake of the 2-1 defeat by the Czech Republic on Friday.

England need to bounce back tonight. Young teams have blips and losses are an inevitable part of their development. The sense of togetherness will be vital in recovering their momentum.

The performance in Prague was poor. There is no sugarcoating that fact. Yet Gareth Southgate has plenty of talent at his disposal and what sets this group of players apart is the way they are willing to work for each other. Despite the gloomy overreaction to Friday night, this is the best England team since the millennium.

Forget the Golden Generation. David Beckham and co underachieved while on national service. For all the optimism, they never looked like winning a trophy. Great teams need toilers as well as superstars. This, especially in international football, requires some big names to subvert their own game for the greater good. The Golden Generation never came to terms with this. It’s a myth that Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard could not play together. Of course they could. It would have taken one of them to make a conscious decision to assume a lesser role and work for his partner. It never happened. Both required the midfield to be built around them.

Goalscorers need to be greedy but Michael Owen turned selfishness into an art form. He played only one way, regardless of whether it suited the team or the tactics.

Beckham himself, the Golden Boy in essence, was desperate to play in the middle despite his very limited ability in the role. He turned himself into the best in the world at two things - swinging in early crosses and taking free kicks. His work ethic was enviable, his self-awareness less so.

Even Wayne Rooney, who towards the end of his international career would play in any position for England – often to the team’s detriment – was only at his best when the side was built to service him. The one real chance the Golden Generation had of winning a tournament was in Portugal in Euro 2004, a summer of peak selfishness when a seam of mistrust ran through the squad. To make it worse, Sven-Goran Erikssen was in charge, a manager who was even more seduced by the glamour surrounding the game than his charges. It added up to an England setup that sparkled with superficial lustre but was as flimsy as gold flake.

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Southgate has players who are prepared to do the dirty work. Raheem Sterling, the man who can elevate England into champions, puts in a shift every time he walks on the pitch. One of the underrated parts of the winger’s game has always been his appetite to track back and help out his defence and the lessons learnt under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City have made Sterling even more adept in this department. Harry Kane is equally keen to drop back and supplement the midfield during difficult periods in the game. When the rest of the squad see the best players putting in so much effort they are driven to work even harder.

It can be frustrating. Marcus Rashford barely got into the opposition area in last month’s 4-0 victory over Bulgaria but the Manchester United striker gave the side balance and worked the whole length of the line. Life is difficult at Old Trafford at the moment and it would have been easy for Rashford to use international duty as a chance to bolster his reputation and express himself. Bulgaria represented a chance to get on the scoresheet. Instead, the 21-year-old produced a remarkably mature, low-key display for the greater good. Rashford might have been a better choice to start in Prague.

Sure, there are a number of issues for Southgate to address. He is struggling to find the right blend in midfield and perhaps Declan Rice has tried too hard to work for the team. The 20-year-old has been overly conservative in his passing and forward movement. The inclusion of Harry Winks should give the side a different dimension tonight but it is too early to give up on Mason Mount.

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The defence were dreadful against the Czechs but if Joe Gomez can return to anywhere near the form he showed for Liverpool before he fractured his leg last year the 22-year-old will be an upgrade on Michael Keane. Gomez is quicker, a better defender and much more comfortable on the ball. Southgate has options on each side at full back but England will be much more secure once the central areas are sorted out. A swell of negativity invariably accompanies any defeat but there is plenty to be positive about.

Alexander-Arnold’s words may seem trite but some England dressing rooms in the recent past have been riven with wide divides and dominated by competing cliques. It is credit to Southgate and his youthful squad that there is little sign of division. They are determined to put things right against Bulgaria.

This is a period of golden opportunity for the Three Lions. This, the Generous Generation, can bring home some silverware for England.