Declan Rice is not exactly known for talking rubbish, so when he stands up after a World Cup campaign and says this is the best England group for a very long time, it is worth taking seriously. The West Ham to Arsenal midfielder has been around this squad long enough to know the difference between genuine quality and a collection of decent players who happen to wear the same shirt, and right now he seems pretty convinced England have the real thing.
Third place at a World Cup is not something England fans should sniff at either. This country went decades without getting anywhere near a semi-final, let alone finishing on the podium. A bronze medal finish is a proper achievement and the kind of result that should be celebrated without anyone trying to immediately move the goalposts and moan about not winning the whole thing.
That said, being fair about it, third place still means England lost a semi-final. Someone still beat them when it mattered most. Rice can be proud of the group and still acknowledge that the very best teams find a way to win those big moments. England are getting closer, and the talent is genuinely there, but there is still a gap between being a very good team and being world champions.
What Rice is pointing at though feels real. The squad depth, the Premier League quality running through it, the younger players coming through with genuine confidence rather than just hype, it all adds up to something that looks sustainable rather than a one-tournament wonder. That is arguably more exciting than any single result.
For a Manchester United fan like this writer, watching players from other clubs get all the glory for England is its own special kind of suffering, but credit where it is due. This England side has something about it. Rice is a leader, Saka and Bellingham are world class, and the whole group seems to actually enjoy playing together which, for England, is practically revolutionary.
Let me know your thoughts.