England's journey to the World Cup semi-finals, for only the third time in the home of football's history, has made national heroes of a happy young team
But we all know who the greatest hero is – Mr Nice Guy manager Gareth Southgate, the gent in the waistcoat, the coolest man in the stadium every time they play
He is the man who has transformed the mood around the England team, the man who has modernised the tactics, the man who has been fully vindicated for trusting in these coruscating kids
There is another story to tell about Southgate as well. You see, he is the man who has always believed, the man who has always dreamed
Three months ago I went to interview him at St George's Park, the national football centre where all his planning was done
His answer to one question bears full repetition here and now. Who could be the dark horses of this World Cup was my query
"It is difficult to differentiate between a Belgium or a France, who were finalists in the Euros," said Southgate
"My aim is that we surprise people, so if that's a dark horse then absolutely. That is probably how we are viewed at the moment
"We know that in terms of experience, caps and age we are younger than most teams
But we like our group of players. We think there is huge potential in the squad – and we are fascinated to see how far we can go
" He said all this three months ago – not yesterday. Southgate knew then that his team had a chance of chasing glory this summer
He also reckoned that Belgium and France would do the same. They are in the semi-finals as well, with all the traditional giants like Brazil, Germany and Argentina long gone
Can England win the World Cup now? That's the question on all our lips, and yesterday's superb performance suggests it is a profound possibility
This was a momentous day for English football, a quarter-final won with class and composure against a very tough team
Don't forget that Sweden eliminated both Holland and Italy in the qualifiers and were top of Germany's group here
Southgate's men dominated them after a nervous opening. They controlled the game, with Jordan Henderson a mighty presence in central midfield and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford making three stupendous saves when his excellence and vigilance were tested
Jesse Lingard never stopped running, Raheem Sterling was a bundle of speed and skill, and captain Harry Kane was the epitome of unselfish determination and leadership by example
Wing-backs Kieran Trippier and Ashley Young provided diligent width and clever crosses, Harry Maguire and Dele Alli headed home the vital goals
Everyone contributed; all the players in a young team that the English public have taken to their hearts these past few weeks
We appreciate there is an edge of inexperience, that mistakes will occur. But we can live with that when the players perform with such courage and spirit and a sense of joy
Have I forgotten a few of them? No, of course not. We also appreciate the quality of John Stones and Kyle Walker in defence and the calm contributions of Fabian Delph when he arrives from the substitute's bench
They all play for Manchester City, along with Sterling – and that is simply no coincidence
If Southgate is the mastermind of England's glorious, galloping, emotional adventure, he will be the first to acknowledge the influence of City's revolutionary manager Pep Guardiola
England's modern style, to pass the ball out from the back at all times possible, to take the risks that requires, to have faith in a young goalkeeper comfortable in possession, to play technical combination football, is straight out of the Guardiola manual
It has been a wholly conscious decision by Southgate to construct his England team with this identity and with this strategy
Talking to him back then, three months ago, he happily acknowledged the influence of Pep
There were many doubters when Southgate began the transition to this style. Could it really work with England players? Managers with the global acclaim of Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello didn't dare do it
It's impossible to believe that Sam Allardyce would have done this as England manager if he hadn't so foolishly talked his way out of the job
The benefits are clear enough now for Kane and company, and among the blizzard of facts and statistics that bombard us in football these days, perhaps these are snippets to take notice of
Pep Guardiola was manager of Barcelona in 2010 and many of his players propelled Spain to win the World Cup that year
He was manager of Bayern Munich in 2014, and many of his club players propelled Germany to the same glory
Now, in 2018, just maybe, Guardiola's current players can make it three times lucky
For more infomation >> MUSİCAL.LY : Katy Perry - Dark Horse / RÜZGAR99999 - Duration: 0:27. 
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