Southgate showed us a new England. But the old one hasn’t gone away

The team gave us an insight into a modern nation but the racial abuse they received shows it won’t be an easy transition

Street artist Akse P19 repairs the mural of Manchester United striker and England player Marcus Rashford on the wall of the Coffee House Cafe on Copson Street, Withington, which was vandalised after the England football team lost the UEFA Euro 2021 final. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

ENGLAND could and should have been able to spend this week celebrating a second place finish at the Euros — a result that just a month ago would have been regarded as an extraordinary success.

As a nation, it should be busy pouring adulation upon a team that exceeded expectations. It should be projecting its image and remarkable backstories around the world, promoting their togetherness and their ethos as an expression of the best aspects of England and Englishness.