Matt Maher: Pride of Lions, built in Southgate’s image

His team, Southgate would no doubt be the first to point out, have won nothing tangible yet.

Surely, however, England’s Euro 2020 campaign can already be logged as a resounding success, regardless of whether or not it ends in glory against Italy at Wembley on Sunday night?

It has lasted longer than any before it, for starters, with Southgate’s Three Lions team the first to ever reach a European Championships final.

Along the way they have successfully banished several of England’s biggest post-1966 hoodoos: Beating a major nation (Germany, no less) in a knockout tie, winning a semi-final, winning after extra-time.

This summer has proven the run to the last-four of the World Cup three years ago was no fluke. England really are on the up, with a team which has connected with the population not only because they win matches (though that, obviously, helps) but also because of what they represent, a diverse group from an array of different backgrounds, pulling as one in pursuit of their goal, a microcosm of the society we all crave.

They are, above everything else, easy to root for, something which wasn’t always the case with England teams of the not too recent past. The nation’s love affair with its No.1 sporting team, which felt in danger of being broken off for good after the 2016 humiliation against Iceland, now feels stronger than ever.

Southgate can take the credit for that, having encouraged his players to tell their stories, while creating a culture and environment in which they feel able to express themselves and thrive. They are a team built in his own, grounded image. Hungry to win yet never arrogant, always respectful of their opponent.

The barrier between the squad and the media, so often a problem for England in the past, has been broken down as best it could. After 2018, Southgate’s team were always going to be subjected to greater expectations, yet his players have not looked like they are playing under the weight of it. Quite the opposite, they’ve rather seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Too often, particularly in a business and sport as cut-throat as football, being nice is perceived as a weakness.

Yet while Southgate might be courteous and humble, as a manager he has never been afraid to make tough decisions. He took a particularly ruthless one on Wednesday night, removing Jack Grealish from the action barely half-an-hour after the Villa skipper had been introduced, in order to add an extra defender as England looked to see out the win.

Southgate will have been well aware of the impact such a decision might have on a player and the criticism which would have been heading his way should things have gone wrong and Denmark equalised.

Ultimately, it came down to putting what he believed to be the best interests of the team ahead of the individual, an ideal which has been a key pillar of his management. Think back, for instance, to November 2019 and his decision to drop Raheem Sterling after the forward was involved in a bust-up with Joe Gomez at St George’s Park.

At the time, his hardline stance drew criticism from some quarters.

Yet Southgate’s primary concern was on protecting squad culture and ensuring nothing eroded the atmosphere carefully constructed around the group. Those critics, having seen the work bear fruit, must surely now understand his call.

Now Southgate is facing the biggest decision of his management career as he ponders his selection for the final, though you suspect, such is his way, the decision is already 99 per cent made.

Much as England’s tournament can already be counted as a success on numerous levels, it is wrong to claim they will face Italy with nothing to lose.

Admittedly, the almost frightening youth of this Three Lions squad and the talent still coming through the system is enough to suggest we are seeing just the start of a special period in English football.

Yet in sport, there are never any guarantees. Much as England’s place in the final is deserved, there is also no disputing this is a tournament where fortune has often favoured them, not least with a format which will see them play six out of seven ties at Wembley and experience less travel than any other nation (it was hard not to consider the near 3,000 extra miles travelled by Denmark in the previous week when witnessing their players fade during Wednesday’s second half).

On the pitch, they have also generally had the rub of the green, from Thomas Muller’s inexplicable miss, to the rather generous award of the penalty from which Harry Kane, eventually, netted the winner against the Danes.

No doubt many England supporters would point out such luck has been a long-time coming yet the main point is getting to the final of major tournaments is hard. For England, this is only their second ever and while there is plenty to suggest they are well placed to reach more in the next few years, there really is no telling what the future might hold.

That is why while reaching the final is a superb achievement, Southgate and his players will be determined to grasp the opportunity now in front of them. A nation is rooting for them.