Could this be that rarest of beasts: A popular England side

England players celebrate following thewin. Picture: Catherine Ivill

You may have to whisper it around Ireland, and probably to close friends only, but is there a danger that England could become the football world’s guilty pleasure this tournament?

There’s always been a global fascination with England’s biggest players — the likes of Beckham, Owen, Rooney, Gerrard, or Gazza, and with the heroes of the Premier League who pull out a white shirt in the summer months. But they haven’t always been easy to watch and certainly not to cheer, for reasons which go way beyond football, of course.