England might not win the World Cup, but their togetherness gives them a great shot

In the 1970s, it was Harvard professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich who coined the phrase, ‘Well-behaved women seldom make history’, and Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Duroche who first said, ‘Nice guys finish last’, after a game against the New York Giants in 1946. You can’t help but wonder what the pair would make of Gareth Southgate’s England squad as they prepare themselves for the latter stages of this winter’s World Cup.

The Three Lions have, over the course of their past two major tournament dalliances, established themselves as a thoroughly likeable group. Of course, there will be some who disagree with that statement, but then again, the sort of people they annoy tend to be exactly the kind that you want to irritate anyways, so it only really serves to reiterate the point. Young, enterprising, and socially conscious, this is a team that a country, by and large, can be proud of.

And the togetherness they so readily exude seems to be entirely earnest too. From the moment that Harry Maguire straddled that inflatable unicorn and flung himself into a Russian swimming pool, the brick walls that have so often separated the country from its national side began to fissure and crumble. Perhaps it is a symptom of the social media age, but never have the England squad felt more accessible or more relatable. And their Qatari adventure is only reinforcing their charm.

From Bukayo Saka’s point blank spelling tests and bashful meeting with David Beckham, to Jordan Henderson’s conspicous efforts at luring Jude Bellingham back to Anfield with him, to Jack Grealish being, well, Jack Grealish, this a squad brimming with that most cherished of English commodities: decent lads. And there have been plenty of tender moments too. To see spent players mixing with family and loved ones in the stands after each match, or to hear Southgate speak with such sensitivity after Raheem Sterling was forced to temporarily return home to deal with a personal matter, is enough to thaw cynicism and soothe swinging bricks in cavernous chest cavities all across the land. But will it be enough?

Obviously, the answer is no. Having a sound squad doesn’t win you the World Cup. If it did, Australia would already be on their way back Down Under with the trophy stowed away in their hand luggage. But where it does matter, and where this England team seems to differ vastly from their predecessors, is in the unity that it generates.

This is a team that plays and fights for each other, that wants to win more than they want to shine individually. In previous tournaments we have already seen the benefits that such an attitude can reap. Maybe it will be enough to get them over the line in Qatar, maybe it will not. But even if it isn’t, this is a side that has given us an awful lot to be admire.