The road to football coming home has been a torturous and emotionally charged one, with many dead ends along the way to frustrate England supporters looking to fulfil the 55-year dream.
A dream that will now rollover to the World Cup after last night's Italian heartbreak.
But it used to be that when an England squad was assembled to take on the world’s elite, the players would come with more baggage than a tour coach.
Allegations about footballers’ moral compasses would make headlines across the papers with illicit dalliances and ill-advised actions overshadowing the squad ahead of major tournaments.
Then there were the WAGs, who took up almost as much limelight as the players.
But this has now all changed.
During a time when the country has been through a series of divisive, life-changing events, from Brexit to the coronavirus pandemic, it turns out that this England squad have finally united the nation behind a common cause.
Last year, before Euro 2020 was officially postponed for 12 months, there were calls from then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock for footballers to stand up and do their part to help in the country’s hour of need.
With the NHS threatened by the first wave of Covid-19 patients, Hancock took aim at Premier League players, telling them: “Given the sacrifices many people are making, the first thing PL footballers can do is make a contribution.”
And so it began. Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson brought together the team captains of the Premier League and made a commitment to use some of their wages to help pay for facilities for medical use and accommodation for NHS staff, to help support foodbanks, transport food and medicines and keep in contact with the most vulnerable members of society.
The mantra was: “Right now, we are all on the same team. We are one team.”
It would become ironic that as the football community came to the table and helped the government with a crisis they had been teetering on the edge of mismanaging since the virus was first discovered in Wuhan, the politicians most prominent in telling us that restrictions matter and that “hands, face, space” must be followed were themselves doing the exact opposite.
From checking their eyesight was working at a pretty tourist spot, to deciding to play away from home with their aide and pretend that social distancing is not really for them, the government have shown they are the ones who needed to step up, not the footballers doing their best for their communities.
And those players who did come forward have now forced change at the heart of government, which has benefited thousands of families across the nation.
Without Marcus Rashford making free school meals his cause célèbre, there would be families who would not have survived the pandemic, from a mental health, financial and wellbeing point of view.
The introduction of food vouchers through the school holidays has been the saviour of many families who would have been left to survive alone as the Tories pushed forward with their agenda.
Then there has been the promotion of LGBTQ+ issues which has brought an inclusivity to those who had been either ignored or worse, abused and threatened because of their sexuality, as footballers took huge strides to help make us all one nation.
And the groundswell of support for Black Lives Matter and Kick It Out highlighted to fans across the country that more needs to be done to bring equality and social justice.
All these changes have been brought by a once much-maligned group of professional athletes and now, we are sitting (or dancing and singing) with a more positive frame of mind, feeling like we are at one with our neighbours once again and ready to move this country forward in spite of the so-called leaders of this nation.
England manager Gareth Southgate has shown what positive, balanced leadership can bring and after the scandals that have rocked the government during the pandemic - which went all the way to the top with allegations about Boris Johnson’s extra-marital affair - the nation is now thankful for the calm steering through rocky waters that Gareth has brought.
With his compassion for his young players, his quiet determination to do the right thing, and even his ability to comb his hair and wear a clean suit, he shows up those in power in Westminster without even trying.
And then after all their achievements off the field in the past 12 months, the team delivered the ultimate feel-good shot in the arm by nearly bringing football home.
Watch and learn, Boris.
What are your thoughts on how footballers have brought the nation together?
Can government learn from the leadership brought to the England football team?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
