DAVID SEAMAN let out a trademark chuckle when it was suggested most of this current England team may not remember Euro 96.
He laughed: “If they are having trouble, they can give me a call, don’t worry — I’ll let them know how it felt!”
The old Wembley. The weather. The semi-final. The Germans. The penalties. The anguish.
Iconic moments from one iconic summer 25 years ago.
Most of Gareth Southgate’s squad were not even born to see one of English football’s most beloved and heart-breaking nights.
But it remains an embedded part of their upbringing
Rising through the ranks they would have seen the clips, heard the stories and felt the emotion.
They will now experience it first hand and become a part of that history as England face Germany at Wembley on a major tournament stage once more.
But former Three Lions keeper Seaman — in goal for that famous 1996 shootout and named in the initial squad for Italia 90 — now wants history rewritten.
He told SunSport: “Even the younger lads will get it, they will realise how much it means.
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“And if not, Southgate can tell them what it means and how bad it can feel if you get beat by them, especially with what he went through with his penalty — but it won’t be all negative.
“It will be, ‘Just think what can happen if we beat them’. It is a chance to write their own history, become heroes and get used to beating the Germans.
“They haven’t experienced getting beat by Germany in a big tournament like we did in 1990 and 1996. I don’t want them to lose another. I want them to be victorious and march on.”
Unlike most Englishmen, Seaman helped us to competitive wins against the old enemy.
The 1-0 victory in the Euro 2000 group stage, the 5-1 World Cup qualifying rout in Munich.
But would he swap that to have won on penalties at Euro 96?
He added: “I would, because of what it could have led to — England winning a trophy.
“It has been so long since 1966 and I’ve been retired a long time.
“I am getting the feeling that I really want to be around when England win a trophy.
“I know how much it would mean to the players and the fans — there would be quite a few smug faces from that 96 team if England were to finally get one over Germany.
“It’s one of those things I don’t want to happen to England again, especially not this team.”
This current crop of Harry Kane and Co are reminded of Euro 96 at every possible turn and Seaman admitted his side had the same pressures.
He said: “It was always there but you will never eclipse 1966 unless you win the World Cup. We knew that but the Euros is as close as it gets.
“At Wembley, to walk up that tunnel where the England team of 1966 did when they won it, it is iconic. You need to embrace that history, use it positively and use it as an encouragement.
“I don’t want this England to have that losing feeling. I want them to feel positive feelings of beating Germany and going on and winning a tournament.
“But don’t be ignorant of the build-up and the history.
“There is no use thinking, ‘I don’t know what all the fuss is about’. This is a lot of fuss.”
Seaman was on Peter Crouch’s Year-Late Euros show for Germany’s group climax and laughing at the thought of facing Hungary before the inevitable happened.
He sighed: “I was like, ‘Oh man!’ I didn’t want them at this stage. But it’s the Euros, at Wembley, against Germany. It doesn’t get much better.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
