Yahoo Sport 
England going to Euro 2020 to win it, Gareth Southgate insists
England will be aiming to win this summer, says the boss
(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)England manager Gareth Southgate says the national team will only have victory on their minds when the European Championships start this summer.
It is now three years since this group of players, for the most part, reached the semi-finals of the World Cup and there remains an element of cautious expectation in some quarters about how far they can go in a major tournament.
That is despite defeats to the likes of Spain, Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark since the 2018 World Cup, with Southgate’s side rather hit and miss when it comes to top opponents.
But the manager is focusing on a positive outlook and says it’s not only about trying to win Euro 2020, but also building a culture of expectancy for tournaments to come with this group of players.
“Of course as a group, we want to win,” Southgate told Sky Sports News.
“What is the point of us going if we are not going there to try and win? We have got a group of players, not just now but for the next few years as well, that is going to mean England are competitive for years to come.”
Southgate pointed to this being a long-term plan throughout the FA and English football, as the Three Lions look to end a long wait to lift a major trophy again.
“When we were setting the blueprint for what St George’s Park would be about and the progress of the national teams, that was the discussion we had.
“We want to win, if you win you want to win again. It is a never-ending cycle. We haven’t won yet; we’ve had a lot of praise. We have got to take those next steps.
“We have got to be looking to be a country that is constantly at those latter stages of the tournaments which is what the really big football nations do.
“I know we always put ourselves in that bracket but our history doesn’t necessarily align with that. Those big nations that have constantly succeeded have always been in those latter stages and we have got to be doing that.”
England face Austria and Romania in friendlies ahead of the Euros, where they will play Croatia, Scotland and Czech Republic in the group stage.
Read More
Sun rises over Aintree ahead of Grand National
England Euro 2020 squad: Who’s on the bus, who could miss out?
