England v France beckons – and there’s nothing wrong with believing (again) this is our time

At 7pm GMT on Saturday night, England face World Cup holders France in a quarter-final shoot out in the desert.

The nation waits. is football finally coming home?

It’s great to see the young emerging English talent finally getting its chance, and hopefully the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish will be performing for England in tournaments for at least the next decade.

It’s an exciting prospect for the next England manager, whoever he (or even she) may be.

Of course if England had been beaten in the group stage or against Senegal on Sunday, reaction would have ranged from national hysteria to, in the case of a round of 16 exit at the weekend, the sack for Gareth Southgate.

But unbeaten they have stayed, so it’s France next. Agincourt, Trafalgar, Waterloo, Eurovision... the history is there for everyone to enjoy.

It’s hard to believe it’s 40 years since we humbled the French in the Espana ’82 group stages 3-1, including Bryan Robson’s record breaking 27- second opener, a great memory for football fans like myself of a certain age. That year, England remained unbeaten in the whole tournament but went out in a complex second group round stage.

But that all counts for nothing - like, to a degree, England’s past four games and France’s group reverse to Tunisia. All that matters is the 90 minutes, possibly 120, on Saturday.

I realise France start as favourites. They are the holders, and despite the Tunisia blip, they’ve been impressive so far.

Can we say the same about England? Iran and Wales, footballing fodder? And the US draw was at times like having teeth pulled. Yes, I’m attempting to talk my way down from the top of ‘Expectation Mountain’.

Four years ago in Russia I was convinced it was our time; last year before the final at Wembley I thought it was our time.

So I’m engulfed in expectation and don’t care who knows it. I think we’ll win 2-1 - which could mean next week’s column might very well be coming from Qatar.