How did this England team go further than some more illustrious predecessors?

It's one of the youngest - with less stars, less world class players but they broke new ground.

Rio Ferdinand, the former England and Manchester United player, last week noted that the so called Golden Generation of 2002-06, had more world class players but they were never a good enough unit to challenge the best in the world. He noted that if a player wasn’t in the team, they were more likely to be found talking to their agents than supporting the team.

When Kalvin Phillips was selected in the first match to play alongside Declan Rice, “Southgate Out” even trended on twitter and yet these two players have been the heartbeat of England’s success.

Why is this relevant?

Because it illustrates that experience and being world-class is no guarantee of success. In the last decade there has been too much reliance on experience over youth; too much focus on process over culture. It is time for boards to reverse this trend and once again enable young talent, give them opportunities and also invest once again in strong cultures where values sit at the heart.

This is hardly a radical call; it is something which the vast majority support and believe in. So it does beg the question, why has it not happened enough in the last decade?

If one looks round at many of the great leaders in Industry, so many of them held senior roles at an early age. The empowering of this group of leaders led to one of the most successful eras in the Industry’s history.

This now needs repeating. It is time to entrust youth once again and if anyone harbours doubts, then ask the question – does experience really lead to success or more of the same? The evidence and facts suggest not. The strongest economies come when all can see opportunity and feel empowered/enabled to prosper. This is needed now more than ever.