When Gareth Southgate was named interim manager of the England team in October 2016, it’s fair to say even the most optimistic of supporters would never have imagined what was to come.
Southgate was eventually given the job on a permanent basis and transformed their fortunes, leading England to the World Cup semis in 2018 and two European Championship finals.
We’ve taken a look back at the Three Lions Xl from his first game in charge, a 2-0 win over Malta, to see how they’ve all fared since.
Despite struggling at Euro 2016, Hart remained as England’s No.1 before eventually being usurped by Jordan Pickford in the build-up to the 2018 World Cup. The 35-year-old’s last international cap came back in 2017.
At club level, the goalkeeper ended a 12-year association with Manchester City and joined Burnley on a permanent deal in 2018.
He made 24 appearances in all competitions for the Clarets and would end his career at Celtic. He is now a prominent BBC pundit.
One of just three players in this starting line-up who made the Euro 2020 squad, Walker went from strength to strength under Southgate.
After joining Manchester City from Tottenham in 2017, the full-back won six Premier League titles, one Champions League, four League Cups and two FA Cups.
He’s also fought off competition from Kieran Trippier, Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold to remain Southgate’s first-choice right-back.
Now aged 36, Walker is in the Championship with Burnley.
After winning his second Premier League title with Chelsea in 2016-17, Cahill was named in the PFA Team of the Year and replaced John Terry as club captain.
The centre-back then decided to step aside from the national team in 2018, telling Southgate that he did not want to be considered for selection unless there was an injury crisis.
After seven-and-a-half seasons at Stamford Bridge, he was released by the Blues in 2019. He played for Crystal Palace and helped Bournemouth achieve promotion last term, but was released at the end of the campaign.
Cahill retired in November 2022 after a glittering career.
Stones recovered from a difficult debut season at Manchester City and helped them win the Premier League with 100 points in 2017-18.
He then came under huge scrutiny after a calamitous mistake in England’s UEFA Nations League game against Holland in 2019 and also found himself out of the City team.
But his partnership with Manchester rival Harry Maguire defined the Southgate era. He stuck around under Thomas Tuchel too, playing at the 2026 World Cup.
Stones left City in the summer and joined Inter Milan. He may also be in line for a Serie A glow-up.
Having forged a reputation as a perfectly reliable left-back at Southampton, Bertrand was a notable omission from England’s 2018 World Cup squad.
“I played wing-back in a five at the end of the season, which is how England play,” Bertrand told the Daily Mail that year. “I also played in a central three for Southampton with Virgil van Dijk and Jose Fonte, and we went on Southampton’s record clean sheet run, six on the bounce.
“I played left midfield in a Champions League final for Chelsea. It is perhaps an oversight in the manager’s analysis and I find that hard to take.”
He never really worked his way back into the England team. He went down with Leicester’s sinking ship in 2023 and retired 12 months later.
Rose struggled with injuries and had a sour end to his Tottenham career before joining Watford on a free transfer in 2021. He also retired in 2024.
While Henderson was still a much-maligned figure with both Liverpool and England in 2016, he blossomed into a title-winning captain in the years after.
The midfielder won the Champions League in 2019 before leading the Reds to their first league title in 30 years.
Not even taking the Saudi coin in 2023 harmed his career too much – Henderson was back in Europe with Ajax within six months, spent last season at Brentford and now plays for Chelsea.
He was also named in England’s 2026 World Cup squad, although his sole contribution was an injured wrist in those post-Mexico celebrations.
Once regarded as English football’s most exciting talent, Alli has suffered a sad fall from grace. He hasn’t played for England since June 2019.
“The only person I blame is myself,” Alli told Goal in July 2021. “I should be performing at a level where it is difficult to not put me in the team or not play me. I don’t blame anyone but myself.
There are several well-documented reasons why such a wonderful player fell off. Too many to rehash here. All we know is that it’s a crying shame.
Having played alongside Southgate at international level, Rooney was in the twilight of his career when the former was appointed England manager.
England’s all-time top scorer and star of Euro 2004 announced his retirement from internationals in August 2017, only to make a one-off return to the national side a year later.
After seeing out his playing career at Derby County, Rooney enjoyed a brief managerial career with Derby, DC United, Birmingham and Plymouth.
He’s now a wonderful pundit, straight-talking and usually correct.
Despite impressing for Arsenal in 2016-17, Walcott received a phone call on his 28th birthday to inform him that he was being dropped from the England squad.
“I’ve got to say he wasn’t chuffed to bits to get the call,” Southgate said in March 2017. “And I understand that. Did he argue his case? Yes. Quite rightly, he said: ‘I’m one of the leading goalscorers in the league.’
“I don’t mind being challenged on that. I totally respect that. I don’t expect him to be happy but I’ve got to make decisions and I think it was the right thing to call him to talk that through – even if the timing wasn’t great.”
The winger ended his career with spells at Everton and Southampton and can now be seen on the punditry circuit.
Rashford has endured a turbulent 10 years, alternating between one of Manchester United’s best players and an Old Trafford outcast.
He’s back at United in 2026, having spent last season on loan at Barcelona. He has also scored 19 goals in 78 appearances.
Lingard made his senior England debut against Malta and soon became a key player for Southgate, starting at the 2018 World Cup.
He then struggled for form at Manchester United, but shone in a loan spell at West Ham in 2021. His last England appearance came shortly afterwards.
Lingard’s move to newly-promoted Nottingham Forest in 2022 didn’t work out and he’s now playing for Corinthians after two years in South Korea with FC Seoul.
Sturridge’s final few years at Liverpool were detailed by a series of injury problems, and he joined Trabzonspor on a free transfer in 2019.
Like so many of his England team-mates from 10 years ago, the former striker now appears as one of many, many pundits employed by Sky.
Vardy announced his retirement from international football in August 2018 and decided to focus on his club career with Leicester City.
He won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2019-20 before helping the Foxes lift the FA Cup in 2021. After relegation in 2025, Vardy spent a year in Italy with Cremonese before signing for Burnley.