A week after what might have been, England’s attention is already starting to turn towards what might be in Qatar at next year’s World Cup. In sport as well as politics, a week is a long time.
The pain of the penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy in the final of the European Championship has largely dissipated, replaced by a genuine optimism that Gareth Southgate and his young team can use their recent experience to go one better next autumn.
“When you leave a tournament you feel extremely emotional,“ said Carl Todd, a consultant osteopath and a key figure in England’s medical team for the past 16 years. “But within a few days you pick yourself up, you think of the positives and think, ‘we go again'.
“I am quietly confident about our chances in Qatar. We have some fantastic players. We have a young squad so the future is terrific.
"When you think about it, all of our players will play a whole season for their clubs, have a proper holiday next year which they haven’t had for a couple of years, they would have had a proper pre-season, and they are going to go into a tournament four months into a new season relatively fresh. We have never experienced that going in to a tournament. It is incredibly exciting.”
Gareth Southgate has always highlighted that for him his 'team' is not just the 26 players in the squad, but everyone involved in the set-up which has coalesced into a unit whose bond is well-nigh unbreakable.
The medics and the fitness staff certainly played their part at the Euros. Every player remained fit. Not one muscle injury was reported. After seven weeks of high intensity football and training that was a remarkable accomplishment.
And Todd, 51, firmly believes that there is no limit to what England can achieve.
“We finished fourth in the 2018 World Cup, third in the Nations League, and second in the Euros. So there is a clear progression. Where will it end? I am ever the optimist!”
In his long involvement with England, Todd has taken part in four World Cups and three European Championships, serving under six managers - Sven-Goran Eriksson, Steve McLaren, Fabio Capello, Roy Hodgson, Sam Allardyce and latterly since 2016, Gareth Southgate. Todd sees at first hand the pressures that an England football manager is under in the quest for success. Each has dealt with it in their own way. The common denominator for each was their drive and ability to inspire.
Understandably he will not be drawn into comparisons. “I have had a lot of managers in my career and Gareth is up there with the very best, simply an outstanding man,” said Todd.
“He has created an environment where people want to be part of a family,” he added.
Carl Todd celebrates Champions League success with Chelsea's Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell
“As we know he places great weight on values, integrity and belonging; these are the three things that really stand out; those values, taken together, equal performance.
“He is very genuine, decent, honest and open. What you see is what you get - a superb man manager, with the ability to listen and to communicate.”
What about this group of players? Where do they stand? “Every group I have worked with has been tight and together. The current group, apart from one or two, are very young and have played together in the younger age groups for England, under 17s, under 18s and under 21s. They have been together for quite a few years. They have come into this environment and embraced the team philosophy. They have bought into it, the staff have bought in to it. Now we have a tight-knit community.”
After 10 years in the armed forces, in 1996 Todd took a resettlement course, part of which was learning about sports injuries. He started working with a military physiotherapist who encouraged him to pursue osteopathy which led to a degree at Oxford Brooks University in 1999. He has gone on since to gain a degree in sports medicine and a PhD in clinical science and orthopaedics.
His route to England was somewhat fortuitous. While studying he became involved in local sports teams in Wiltshire, where he lives, as well as individual athletes. A patient he treated for a back problem in Swindon turned out to be Steve Slattery, a masseur with England under Glenn Hoddle. Todd was recommended to Gary Lewin, the former England physiotherapist and was invited to a meeting in 2005 at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester. It provided his big break.
“I had been quite nervous on the way up,“ Todd recalled. “When I got there I sat in the car park and thought, 'I am here for a reason, I have some skills they want, so let's go for it'.
“The first professional player I treated was Ashley Cole. I saw three or four players – the last was David Beckham, the captain at the time. The feedback must have been positive. At the end of that evening I was wheeled in to meet Sven and the coaching staff and it was decided that I would work for them.”
That was the start of a distinguished career which also involves Chelsea whom he joined in 2009 again as a consultant, dovetailing his commitments to club and country with that of his burgeoning private practices in London and the south west of England.
Italy v England player ratings
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Gianluigi Donnarumma 10 - Nothing to do in the first half other than pick the ball out of the net for Shaw’s opener. Commanded the box well when his defence looked messy at times. Beat John Stones to Harry Kane’s ball which curled dangerously towards the Italian goal. An unbelievable performance in the shootout – a generational goalkeeper. -
Giovanni Di Lorenzo 5 - A nervous start saw the right-back unconvincing on the ball while leaving enormous amounts of space down his flank early on. Whatever advice the defender received at the break seemed to work. -
Leonardo Bonucci 6 - Sloppy with the ball unnecessarily at times. The Juventus defender reacted first to a loose ball to equalise for Italy. -
Giorgio Chiellini 5 -. The captain was too narrow at times during the first half and this pulled Italy’s fullbacks in with him. Mancini’s side looked much more assured in the second half. A strong block denied Raheem Sterling from cutting back on his right foot. -
Emerson 5 - Assisted Italian attacks with good movement but it was a different story in defence for Emerson who struggled against England’s link-up play. Settled down in the second half. -
Nicolo Barella 6 - The Inter Milan midfielder has had a good tournament but looked uncomfortable at times on Sunday night. Unable to influence the game as much as usual. Booked for a foul on Harry Kane. -
Jorginho 7 - Overcame a knee injury and kept the play ticking for Italy as usual. Slow to get started but eventually crucial as Italy began to enjoy spells of possession. -
Marco Verratti 7 - Helped settle Italy down in the midfield and looked the most assured on the ball for Roberto Mancini’s side. -
Federico Chiesa 7 - Positive on the ball as ever; the Juventus man looked to get the ball forward with urgency and hit a warning shot just after the half-hour mark that whistled wide. Italy’s brightest spark, on the night. Forced off with injury. -
Ciro Immobile 4 - Isolated amongst England’s three central-defenders with a half-chance struck and blocked comfortably. Anonymous. -
Lorenzo Insigne 4 - A blazed freekick over the bar and woeful effort from range made up a poor first half. Moved the ball well into space in moments but the end product was something Italy fans would have wanted to have seen at the start of the tournament rather than in the final. -
Bryan Cristante (Barella 55) 6 - On for Barella who was playing on a yellow card. Flicked on the ball that led to Bonucci’s equaliser. -
Domenico Berardi (Immobile 55) 6 - Involved early with a shot from a tight angle that Pickford saved comfortably. Added more mobility upfront for Italy. Dispatched his penalty confidently. -
Federico Bernardeschi (Chiesa 86) N/R - Not as effective as Chiesa and his free kick in a dangerous area amounted to nothing. -
Andrea Belotti (Insigne 90) N/R - Ran the channels in extra time but rarely threatened. -
Manuel Locatelli (Verratti 96) N/R - On to help Italy maintain their press from the middle. -
Alessandro Florenzi (Emerson 117) N/R - On for the final moments of extra time. -
Jordan Pickford - 8. Little to do in the first half, and then, when Chiesa cut through England’s defence and had a shot on 62, he was positioned to get down and make a fine save. Terrific save but then struggled to get near Bonucci’s scruffy, easy, equaliser. Saved from Belotti. Did his part in the penalties. -
Kyle Walker – 8. Flew forward to support attack in first goal. Swapped with Trippier as England outsmarted Italy tactically, resulting in a fuming Mancini – and he remained frustrated for a long time. Yet they had to be prepared as Italy were most dangerous down their right. Headed a high ball back to Pickford with such comfort he was applauded. -
John Stones – 8. One of England’s players of the tournament. Didn’t put a foot wrong in the first half. Shouldered a 64th minute Trippier corner towards goal without a proper connection. Busy man trying to block Italy’s bossing the game. -
Harry Maguire – 8. Shaky first minute but then England countered and scored. Thereafter comfortable. Headed a rare set-piece high over on 55. Headed a dangerous Italian cross over just before the goal, then was under serious pressure as Italy pressed high. Booked. Superb penalty. -
Kieran Trippier – 7. Cross for Shaw put England ahead after two minutes in the dream start. Combined brilliantly with Walker on the right and they really troubled Italy, pulling them apart. Had to be careful not to show Insigne inside before he moved into the middle. He usually was, but was pushed back by Italy’s dominance. -
Kalvin Phillips – 7. Had to be on it as Italy had 62% of first half possession, had more attacks too. He was. Blocked Chiesa, Italy’s most dangerous player, to the point that he struggled to get in the game. -
Declan Rice – 7. Screened England’s back line as he has all tournament and sniffed danger from Italy. Moved forwards with confidence. Covered a lot of ground and second player to come off at Italy bettered England in the centre. -
Luke Shaw – 8. Goal, two minutes. What a time to score your first goal for England – a measured controlled finish on the bounce which kissed the post. Played just 59 minutes for England between 2015 and March 2021. Didn't feature in 61 of England's 63 games in that time. Perfectly timed runs all night. Sensational at the start, then back to the wall in a one-sided second half. -
Raheem Sterling – 7. Vital in the tournament. Comfortable going forward. Gave away a free-kick just after half-time, but was much quieter in the second half as Italy equalised and pushed for a winner. -
Mason Mount – 7. Linked with Sterling in the first half. Fine run on 63 to stretch Italy’s ageing and tiring defence – until Bonucci scored. But that was about it in the second half where he struggled to make an impact. -
Harry Kane – 7. Sharp in first half. Fantastic movement meant Italy couldn’t get a hand on him, specifically when he dropped deeper. Linked the attacks. Much quieter in second half as Italy dominated and he was so deep he wasn’t a threat at all. Looked very tired by the end but took England’s first penalty well. -
Bukayo Saka – 6. On for Tripper after 70 as England needed a player to get forward as Italy dominated and it felt like England were clinging on. Penalty saved. -
Jordan Henderson – 6. On for Declan after 74, his fresh legs and experience needed to try and stem the Italian flow. Nice ball in 92nd minute but Chiellini read it perfectly. -
Jack Grealish (On for Mount 99) N/R. Gave England attacking impetus, as he ran forward with the ball. Was also badly fouled by Jorginho. -
Jadon Sancho (On for Walker 120) N/R. Sent on for with penalties. Penalty saved. -
Marcus Rashford (On for Henderson 120) N/R. On with penalties in mind. Sent Donnarumma the wrong way for his penalty, but it hit the post.
He is in such demand that now he is off to Tokyo with Team GB for the Olympics. None of it would be possible without the support of his wife Mel and his three sons. “I couldn’t do this without them. I owe them a lot,” Todd continued.
What was the view from inside the camp looking out during the frenzy of the Euros? “We weren’t really aware of what was going on. You have social media but a lot of people didn’t use it. We were quite protected in the environment at St George’s Park. There was one stage when I had to leave the camp for a few days as my father-in-law passed away.
“It wasn’t until I stepped out and had the car radio on that I realised the impact it was having, how much hype was building. I had to switch it off! When we set off to London for the final I have never seen so many people lining the road with banners and placards and cheering.
“I have never experienced that at that level in this country – so much adulation for the team. When we got off the coach in London at the hotel everyone was talking about it.”
So what about those penalties? “At 1-1 I couldn’t see us losing the game. In extra time none of the players were cramping up. Penalties are a horrible way to decide a tournament for any team. But next year is another chance. I shall be there. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be part of England for so long.”
