Gary Lineker is certain England will win a major tournament soon, but does not want to wait any longer than their Euro 2024 final against Spain on Sunday.
England face Spain in Berlin with a chance to end an excruciating 58-year wait for an international honour, something Lineker failed to halt during his own playing career.
Lineker scored 48 goals in 80 appearances for the Three Lions, becoming the first English player to win the Golden Boot at a World Cup in 1986.
The former striker suffered his fair share of heartache on the international stage, with Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal knocking England out of that World Cup.
Lineker and England would reach the semi-finals four years later at Italia 90, but would fall to defeat to West Germany in a penalty shoot-out.
The Three Lions' fourth all-time scorer netted in both of those aforementioned games, making those defeats hurt that little bit more.
Though England are yet to get over the line at a tournament under him, Gareth Southgate has edged the Three Lions closer than ever to international glory.
Under Southgate's stewardship, England have reached consecutive European Championship finals, achieving more major tournament finals in four attempts with their current manager (two), than they did in their first 23 appearances at the World Cup and Euros combined (one) before his tenure.
Sunday's final will be England's first on foreign soil, but they have never lost a match in Berlin in six attempts (four wins, two draws), only playing more in Helsinki (eight), Amsterdam (seven) and Sunderland (seven) without ever suffering defeat.
Lineker is hopeful Southgate and his players can end their wait for a major international honour, but is confident that should they fail to do so, they will in the near future.
"My lifetime ambition as a player was always to win a major tournament with England. We got very close, but it did not quite happen," Lineker told BBC Sport.
"Now it is the same in broadcasting. I have always wanted to utter those words and say an England's men's team has won a World Cup or European Championship - and I am hoping Sunday is the day it finally happens.
"It is going to be tough, of course. They are playing a very good Spain team with a couple of real superstars and one emerging phenomenon, but I still feel like they've got a good chance.
"England went very close at the last Euros - losing a final on penalties is as close as you can get without winning - and that experience will help them now. Since then, I have been saying that this team will do it and win something, and I still believe that.
"If it is not on Sunday night then it might be in two years, or four, or six... but it will happen because this England side is only going to get better and, if you keep banging on the door, eventually it will open.
"I don't want to wait, though. I just hope it happens on Sunday."
Salah's contract 'up to him and the club', says Slot
Arne Slot has asserted Mohamed Salah’s future is “up to him and the club”.
The Liverpool star has yet to make a decision on whether to renew his contract, and as it stands, will be leaving Anfield at the end of the season.
Salah remains a key player for the Reds, and leads the club for Premier League goals (seven) and assists (five) this term.
He scored the winner in the 72nd minute to complete Liverpool’s comeback against Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday, as they moved to the top of the table.
And despite the question marks over Salah's future, Slot is not concerned.
"[His future] is not what I think about. The only thing I think about is he is so important for us. Scores important goals, works hard for the team," the Liverpool boss told TNT Sports.
"I’m hoping he can enjoy that feeling many, many, many more times. Especially if I’m here but also if I’m not here. I’m hoping he can do this many more times.
"He’s been incredible for Liverpool over the past eight years. He’s been incredible for us this season and I hope he can continue doing this for the rest of the season and maybe longer to come, but that’s up to him and the club to find the idea about the future."
Salah could be in for a historic night on Tuesday when Liverpool face Bayer Leverkusen, having scored in each of his last five Champions League appearances at Anfield.
The last player to score in six consecutive home games in the competition for an English club was Ruud van Nistelrooy for Manchester United in April 2003.
Salah sparked renewed talk over his future after posting on Instagram on Sunday, saying that the feeling of scoring at Anfield would remain unforgettable “no matter what happens.”
But Slot was keen to quash any deeper meaning in the post.
"I haven’t spoken to him about that. You interpreted it in a way that maybe other people don’t," he told the press.
"I don’t look at Instagram posts of my players, I only talk to them which you can’t, which is the advantage I have.
"Mo is in a very good place at the moment. As long as he has been at Liverpool, he has been in a very good place, but this season again as well. I am hoping he will make a post after tomorrow and on Saturday again. What he said with that, that is not important.
"For me what is important is how he plays and what he tells me when we have conversations. That is what matters and not how you guys interpret one of his posts."
Neymar suffers fresh injury blow
Neymar sustained a new injury as he was forced off during Al-Hilal's AFC Champions League Elite win over Esteghlal.
Aleksandar Mitrovic plundered a hat-trick on Monday to seal a 3-0 win.
But Al-Hilal's victory was soured by an injury to Neymar, who had to make way just 29 minutes after he came on as a second-half substitute.
The Brazilian, who has just returned from over a year out of action following a serious knee injury, was forced off with what appeared to be a thigh issue.
Indeed, Monday's appearance was only the 32-year-old's second for Al-Hilal since his comeback.
He has featured just seven times for the Saudi Pro League champions in all competitions since his big-money move from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
Rodgers delighted as Celtic rout Aberdeen in semi-final
Celtic booked their place in the Scottish League Cup final after hammering Aberdeen 6-0 at Hampden Park on Saturday.
The 21-time winners of the tournament were inspired by a Daizen Maeda hat-trick in a near-perfect performance against the Scottish Premiership's second-placed side.
Manager Brendan Rodgers was delighted with the result and performance from his side.
"It was a testament to our players and the demands they have. They play every week in big games. We have to manage this group through every game," he told Premier Sports.
"It was up to us to decide the game and the players did that. They were brilliant today. We were more aggressive in the second half.
"Aberdeen have had an excellent season, they will continue to work well I'm sure."
The result was Aberdeen's first defeat in 17 matches in all competitions this season, with a 2-2 draw at Celtic Park last month the only time they had previously failed to win.
Cameron Carter-Vickers got the scoring under way with a header 29 minutes in, before the brilliant Maeda sat down goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov to set up Kyogo Furuhashi for a second three minutes later.
Maeda then got in on the act himself on 40 minutes before the game briefly descended into farce on the stroke of half-time, with Rodgers shown a yellow card for kicking away a ball that had gone out before slipping over.
"To be fair, I was raging because we had given the ball away," he said.
"I have my moments, like every manager. It was just the game, even though we were comfortable at 3-0.
"It was a deserved yellow card. The speed of the ball [was the issue]. I just wanted to keep the tempo of the game."
Celtic and Maeda picked up where they left off in the second half to make it 4-0 in the 50th minute before Nicolas Kuhn hammered in a fifth on the hour.
The rout was complete when Maeda wrapped up his hat-trick as he finished off a flowing attacking move with five minutes to go.
After the match, Rodgers continued to be effusive about his team, who will face either Rangers or Motherwell in the final.
"An outstanding team performance. You come up against a team that has been so, so good. We knew it would be a challenge," he told BBC Scotland.
"We had to bring our A-game and the players did that, in particular during the second half.
"We were ruthless. We worked the ball really well to create the space and made good runs.
"It's a beautiful pitch here at Hampden. It's perfect for the football we want to play."
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