Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham believes that the Three Lions are capable of going all the way at Euro 2024 next summer.
Since Gareth Southgate took the reins in 2016, the former Middlesbrough head coach has guided the Three Lions to their first World Cup semi-final since 1990, in addition to their first-ever Euros final two years ago.
However, England's men's team remain without a major trophy 57 years on from lifting the World Cup trophy aloft in 1966, since when the women's team have been crowned European champions and finished as runners-up at the 2023 World Cup.
England's youthful talent reserves have long been lauded, although there have been perennial concerns over Southgate's ability to get the best out of this perceived golden generation of players.
Following a mediocre World Cup quarter-final exit in 2022, Southgate announced his intention to lead England to Euro 2024, and Bellingham does not see why the Three Lions cannot conquer the continent in Germany next year.
© Reuters
"We shouldn't be afraid to say we should want to go to Germany and try and win the tournament," the former Borussia Dortmund man told ITV during the international break.
"I don't really care about bookies' favourites, it's all about how the team performs on any given day. We can do that, we have a good enough squad I believe. We have a real common goal, which is to try and win trophies."
Bellingham was only a 15-year-old Birmingham City academy product when England progressed to the final four of the 2018 World Cup, while he was restricted to three substitute appearances during the Three Lions' run to the Euro 2020 final.
However, amid his rise to stardom with Borussia Dortmund, Bellingham has now nailed down a starting spot for his nation and made the first XI in all five of their 2022 World Cup matches, scoring one goal and setting up one more.
The 20-year-old posted an identical tally when England swept aside Scotland in Tuesday's 150th Anniversary Heritage match, capitalising on an Andy Robertson error before slipping through Harry Kane in a man-of-the-match display.
© Reuters
The pressure of the Real Madrid shirt has not weighed too heavily on Bellingham's shoulders either, as he has already netted five goals and provided one assist in four La Liga games during an exceptional start to life at the Bernabeu.
So far in his fledgling career, Bellingham has won just one major trophy - helping Dortmund to the 2020-21 DFB-Pokal title - but the midfielder is targeting a significant silverware haul with club and country in the coming months.
"I want to try and win everything really, with Madrid, and with England. (I want) to have a year when I attack all competitions and try to end the season with a lot of trophies," Bellingham added. "For me, I don't give myself personal goals in terms of how many goals or assists I should score, or trophies."
England sit comfortably top of Euro 2024 qualifying Group C with 13 points from a possible 15, despite seeing their four-game winning run come to an end in a 1-1 draw with Ukraine last weekend.
The Three Lions are six points clear of Italy, Ukraine and North Macedonia and will resume their bid for a first-placed finish against the former on October 17, four days after hosting Australia in a friendly at Wembley.