By the time next summer's Euros roll around, England's wait to win a major tournament will stand at 58 years.
Since then it's been a case of looking on, wondering why, as Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Netherlands and Portugal have all tasted success at either a World Cup or European Championships. These are nations that England expect to be competing with at the business end of tournaments, opposition they strive to beat when trophies are handed out.
Adding more to their frustration is the fact that the old Czechoslovakia, Denmark and Greece have all been crowned champions of Europe during their period of waiting.
If Alf Ramsey were alive today, he would probably go against his normal demeanour and shout: "what the hell have we been doing wrong all this time?"
In truth, England haven't done a lot wrong. The lottery of the penalty shootout has not gone their way; Bukayo Saka the latest to need a shoulder to cry on after the Euro 2020 final. Go back to the Euro 96 semi-final against Germany and Paul Gascoigne nearly getting on the end of an Alan Shearer delivery; any connection, with the game gone to extra-time and level at 1-1, would likely have seen England advance. Again, they failed when it came to the subsequent spot kicks.
On other occasions, the Three Lions have simply been not good enough or have failed to fire.
And then came the nadir against Iceland at Euro 2016. Roy Hodgson's side 2-1 down after 18 minutes, unable to lift themselves thereafter. England beaten by a country with a population the size of Coventry. So much then for the pre-match thoughts of Chris Waddle on BBC 5 Live: "Let's be realistic, England are playing a Championship side tonight".
Hodgson was a broken man when he eventually spoke to the media, this after announcing his resignation just minutes after the full-time whistle in Nice and then releasing a statement.
"I don't really know what I am doing here, I thought my statement last night was sufficient.
"My emotions are obvious ones. I am really disappointed. I didn't see the defeat coming.
"I am still recovering from that. I am still fragile. It wasn't a good night, for anybody."
What was next for England? Well, it was Sam Allardyce. A tenure that lasted for one match and 67 days after a Daily Telegraph investigation claimed Allardyce offered advice on how to "get around" rules on player transfers. Still, 'Big Sam' was at the helm longer than Brian Clough at Leeds and Liz Truss at No 10!
And then Gareth Southgate was asked to step up from his role as U-21 coach. As a player with Aston Villa, Middlesborough and England, Southgate mainly operated in the centre of defence, after an initial period as a midfielder.
He is well liked within the football family, with former Aston Villa team-mate Paul McGrath telling The Irish Independent in advance of the Euro 2020 final: "You will never hear anyone in football who has a bad word to say about Gareth".
McGrath, though, did not see Southgate the manager when they played together, and added: "He was a quiet guy, so thoughtful and didn't really strike me as having the personality that was expected of a manager back then."
Some three decades on, and Southgate will lead England into a fourth major tournament, this after reaching the Euro 2020 final, that either side of a World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia in 2018 and last year's narrow loss to France at the quarter-final stage in Qatar.
Southgate's record is comparable to Alf Ramsey when it comes to major tournaments, but crucially the latter got England over the line in 1966. With the depth of talent that the current manager has at his disposal, perhaps the best of any of the squads that will assemble in Germany next June, expectations will only be heightened as the tournament approaches.
England can win Euro 2024, but France, Portugal, maybe Germany and Spain, are also likely winners.
When asked about England's chances of finally ending their drought, Racing Post journalist and 2fm Game On contributor Mark Langdon believes the lack of many live contenders and the strength of Southgate's squad only adds to the thinking that this is England's time.
"You can play well and get knocked out but I think it's a golden opportunity to make that next step," he told RTÉ Sport.
"If you look around Europe there are not that many teams playing particularly well - outside of France and Portugal.
"You can plot a path to the final but it rarely works out that way, still there is not too much to be scared of. England played France at the last World Cup, it was a 50-50 game, Harry Kane missed a penalty and England were the better side in the second half.
"Germany are the hosts, that gives them an advantage, but they concede too many goals and haven't got anyone like Kane or Bellingham to score their goals.
"Spain have the Gavi injury; a team who are all possession-based, but don't have any penetration in the side.
"Italy only scraped through qualifying and didn't make the World Cup. The Netherlands, I mean swapping Louis van Gaal for Ronald Koeman is a downgrade for them in the coaching department.
"Portugal have got a lot of talented players; they should be looking to move Cristiano Ronaldo aside, but they won't do it and that might be their downfall.
"Croatia are past it, as are Belgium.
"Reasons then for England to think it's a big opportunity, but as I said you can never quite tell until you get to the knockout stages.
"The squad is packed full of talented players - have been around tournaments for a while and are growing together. I don't see too many weaknesses, maybe at centre-half. .Who plays alongside John Stones? Harry Maguire hasn't been doing that badly since his return to the Manchester United side. The ability in the front area of the pitch is the best in the tournament with the likes of Bellinghan, Kane, Foden, Grealish and Saka."
As for options in midfield, Langdon is echoing the growing calls that a certain Liverpool player should now play a pivotal role in the engine room.
"Trent Alexander-Arnold is a fascinating proposition in central midfield," he added.
"I think Southgate will go for Alexander-Arnold in midfield. He's talented; for Liverpool he drifts into that position. He can also have one eye on protecting that area on the right-hand side if the likes of Kyle Walker or Kieran Trippier are playing behind him.
"Obviously, Rice and Bellingham pick themselves.
"I think it's too ambitious to go with Phil Foden and James Maddison.
"Will Jordan Henderson be ready after a full season in Saudi Arabia for the level that is required? I'd have my doubts.
"If Kalvin Phillips gets himself a move and plays well in the second half of the season he might be able to force himself back in there."
While Langdon is confident that England have the squad to go far in Germany, he is less enamoured by Southgate's footballing nous, pointing to the failure that was the Euro 2020 final and the manager's conservative approach after England took the lead.
"That view that he applies the hand-brake has been aimed at him previously. It definitely was the case in the Euros; Italy were there for the taking. It wasn't the same case at the World Cup, they went toe-to-toe with France in that quarter-final and lost a really tight game.
"He does worry me, he's not an elite manager.
"If he was to leave and get a Premier League job it wouldn't be for any of the leading clubs. I don't go with this 'he's done better than the other England managers bar Alf Ramsey' because I think this side is stacked full of quality. Comparing him to other managers who haven't had that talent is unfair. He's got no excuses, there can't be any excuses.
"Everything is in place; the squad is very much like a club side, everybody knows everybody; the players are the right age; it's all there for him."
Langdon, however, does give Southgate credit for engendering a positive team spirit within his squad, something that may not have been the case for England at previous tournaments, more so during the 'golden generation' period of the 2000s where reported cliques emerged.
"It's more about the individual now than the collective and that is something Southgate has managed to change," he feels.
"That's no mean feat in international football with all the egos. That's the side of the job he has done very well. Now he has to use the benefits of that and go on and win a tournament."
As for a couple of other teams to keep an eye on next summer: those that could go further than we think, Langdon looked towards the centre of the continent.
"I think Hungary are a side that caught the eye in the Nations League and did well in qualifying. Dominik Szoboszlai - how good he has been since moving to Liverpool? He has been even better for Hungary. They will do better than people think.
"And then there's Austria under Ralf Rangnick. It didn't work out for him at Manchester United, a place many have tried and not succeeeded. He's putting together a pressing machine with Austria; they score a lot of goals and recently beat Germany in a friendly so that shows they may be improving."
The Euros remain a 24-team competition, with only eight teams going home after the group stage. England will face Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia in Group C; it's not an intimidating prospect to get things going, with Southgate's side not set to face a group winner until a potential semi-final.
The English have been accused of arrogance in previous tournaments and it's something, not only in this country but beyond, that has been aired. A reaction that brings a response "I don't mind the team but it's the media and the pundits".
Croatia's Luka Modric wasn't too pleased with the way the English press underestimated his side ahead of the 2018 World Cup semi-final. Speaking after the Croats 2-1 victory, he said, "English journalists, pundits from television, they underestimated Croatia and that was a huge mistake. They should be more humble and respect more opponents.
Three years on, prior to Croatia's opening Euro 2020 clash against England, Modric - on the platform formerly known as Twitter - reiterated his view, saying: "That arrogance is not so much related to the players but the people around them, some of the journalists and commentators."
No doubt, good and bad renditions of the chant 'It's Coming Home' will be belted out if England are closing in on the big prize next July. It's a line from a decent pop song, but many see it as a form of English entitlement when it comes to football.
Perhaps, it's best not to get too wound up by it, concentrate on on-field matters, and accept England as one of a few capable of lifting the Henri Delaunay trophy on 14 July next.
Since 2018, they have figured prominently at the business end of major tournaments. They are edging towards something big but can they finally deliver?
Mark Langdon is right to say that central defence is a position of concern and there is enough attacking talent amongst the other main contenders to cause England problems.
The seeds of doubt remain then, but for Southgate and co it's about banishing those doubts and being no longer the nearly men of international football.
Watch Euro 2024 on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 14 June
