Comparing Southgate's current crop to the England vintage of Beckham & Rooney
The label 'Golden Generation' has been a problematic one for England, coming to represent wistful feelings of what might have been rather than the ultimate compliment.
The Three Lions side between 2002 and 2006 under Sven-Goran Eriksson came to be known by that tag following a remark by FA chief executive Adam Crozier in 2001.
Rather than encourage an aura of invincibility, it instead burdened what was undeniably a hugely talented team that duly failed to get beyond the quarter-finals at two World Cups and one European Championship.
Eriksson had the likes of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney at his disposal but his England teams never amounted to more than the sum of their parts.
Players who excelled for their clubs, scooping up all the major trophies, never experienced the same success with their country.
For better or worse, the current England team under Gareth Southgate has acquired the same moniker.
It was reiterated by a Scot, Graeme Souness, after Tuesday night's 3-1 win at Hampden Park.
'This is the golden generation,' Souness said on Channel 4's coverage. 'Forget Frank [Lampard] and Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes, they've got strength and depth.
'England are a really good team at the moment and I think they're destined to get their hands on a trophy with this group of players.'
Southgate's team have already come pretty close. They reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, then lost to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.
The hope now is that this current group peak at next summer's Euros and end that long and painful wait since 1966 for a trophy.
We compare the two England 'golden generations' here.
GOALKEEPER
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