Brilliant England Can Dare to Dream of a Bright Future

Only five months on from the humiliation of their early exit from the World Cup, England’s performance in their 3-1 victory over Scotland on Tuesday night showed why their fans can possibly begin to dare to dream of a bright future.

A bold and confident new England side has emerged at a far faster rate than anyone could ever have imagined after Brazil. 

This accomplished victory over Scotland was England’s sixth consecutive win since returning from the World Cup.

This isn’t a sentence I’m accustomed to writing, but England were genuinely a joy to watch at Celtic Park.

They played with a controlled passion, with zest and brio, and were full of inventive movement as they crisply passed the ball around.

Some might dismiss this victory, because it came against a Scottish side crammed with championship players, but it is worth remembering the build-up to this game.

Gordon Strachan’s side had only lost once in their previous 10 games and then only narrowly to the world champions, Germany.

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Add in the much-hyped atmosphere awaiting them inside Celtic Park, and this was seen as a genuine test for England.

It is a test they easily passed, and crucially, with real swagger too.

All across the pitch there was something to please Roy Hodgson.  

At the back his defence looked comfortable and was rarely troubled by Scotland, and in Nathaniel Clyne he has found a right-back.

The Southampton defender was playing only his second international, but you wouldn’t have known it; he appeared solid at the back and impressively augmented England’s attacks.

As the importance of full-backs continues to grow in the modern game, England now boast a fine pair in Clyne and Luke Shaw.

In front of the defence Jack Wilshere played with an authority and composure he has long hinted at but rarely delivered.

His pass for his Arsenal team-mate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to open the scoring with a glancing header was simply brilliant. 

Scott Heppell/Associated Press

This summer during the World Cup, it appeared as though an emerging majority wanted to end Wayne Rooney’s England career.

The complaints were he was too old, too predictable and quite clearly past his peak. It was time to move on. 

But Rooney is now playing with a renewed vigour for England; he looks younger, sharper and hungry again. He is even celebrating his goals with cartwheels. 

His two goals for England at Celtic Park proved how he has become indispensable for his country once again.

And then there are the immense talents of Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley, who will both get so much better and impose themselves on this side even more. 

Daniel Sturridge will also eventually return from injury and bolster England’s already impressive attacking options.

England fans will not recall 2014 with any great fondness after their experience in Brazil, but in time it could also prove to be the year in which a new and exciting side emerged from the wreckage.

It would be foolish to get too carried away, but there is a genuine momentum building behind this England side.