World Cup

Gareth Southgate: 'England can still win 2022 World Cup'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 25 June 2015

England Under-21s boss Gareth Southgate believes Greg Dyke's claim that the Three Lions should win the World Cup in the next decade still carries credibility.

Gareth Southgate has insisted that England's senior side can still win the World Cup in 2022.

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke claimed last year that the Three Lions must look towards lifting the famous trophy within the next decade, despite last managing to do so on home soil back in 1966.

After seeing his Under-21s side crash out of this summer's U21 Euro 2015 tournament at the group stage - the third finals in succession that has happened - Southgate maintains that winning the World Cup is still a realistic aim.

When asked by BBC Sport if he felt Dyke's claims still carried credibility, he responded: "Yes. I think what we need to be doing is challenging regularly in semi-finals an finals of tournaments in the next period of years.

"When you are doing that, coupled with experience at the top end of the Premier League, then there will be a challenge for a World Cup. That is the target that gives us a goal to aim for. It is not an unrealistic time-scale."

England Under-21s picked up one win from their three group-stage games in the Czech Republic, that coming in dramatic fashion against Sweden earlier this week.