The memories of that summer in Russia have just about faded from the consciousness of England fans, as for four weeks there was a real belief that football was truly coming home. Unfortunately though, it was a dream that died after a semi-final defeat to eventual runners-up Croatia.

Eventually, England would have to make do with a fourth-place finish after losing to Belgium for the second time in the tournament. After defeat in their final group stage fixture, they once again came up short against Roberto Martinez's men in the third/fourth place play-off.

Coleen Rooney is believed to have swapped going to Wembley to watch her husband Wayne in his England farewell appearance for a shopping trip.

WAG Colleen had been seen doing her shopping for Christmas in Cheshire prior to the match against the United States, and it’s believed that she stayed up in Manchester instead of heading to London.

Wayne Rooney has backed Harry Kane to eclipse his goalscoring record with the England national side.

The 33-year-old recently secured his 120th and final cap for the Three Lions during the international friendly against the United States and speaking after that game, Rooney said that he is expecting Kane to surpass his scoring record in years to come.

Liverpool legend-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher believes Ross Barkley has better attributes than Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard in terms of raw ability and he could become the face of England’s midfield in the forthcoming years. The former Evertonian had a tough 2017/18 season where he struggled regularly with a hamstring problem but he has managed to come through it this term with consistent performances in the Blues shirt.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Carragher said: “This lad has got to become mentally stronger, but in terms of ability, you think of the players who played in that position in the World Cup - Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard - and maybe you could argue they are better mentally but they are not better ability wise. If he becomes better mentally - as you would expect playing for a big team and achieving big things - I think he could become a must for the England team.”

England will be quite hopeful about taking something out of the game against Spain when they make the trip to Seville on Monday. Gareth Southgate’s men have been able to get just a solitary point from the first two group matches. After an opening defeat against Spain, England were only able to manage a goalless draw with Croatia in the second group match. As a result, England have been placed as the outsiders for a victory at the Benito Villamarin. The Three Lions are without a victory in four competitive games and they are placed at 19/4 for a victory in this match.

Meanwhile, Spain have been flying high under the regime of Luis Enrique and they have been able to score an incredible 10 goals in the last two matches. They have also conceded just one goal since making the trip to Wembley. As a result, Spain are overwhelming favourites to win the game and they are priced at just 4/6. Even though the price may not sound attractive, the draw is a good option for the meeting between these two teams as both have a strong set of players. Jordan Henderson and John Stones will be the players unavailable for the game. A draw is an attractive price had 3/1 to win the match.

England international Harry Kane has stressed that he cannot be compared with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have achieved plenty of success over the past decade. Kane has been one of the Premier League’s most fearsome strikers over the past four seasons and he managed to take the same form into the recent World Cup where he was handed the Golden Boot for the most goals scored during the tournament.

Speaking at a news conference, Kane said that he wants to continue improving with his game but he is still far off from reaching the heights of Messi and Ronaldo, he said: “I think it's hard to compare myself with them two. Those two have set a standard of football over the past 10 years that has been unbelievable.Those are the heights we all want to reach. To finish top goalscorer in a World Cup was something I am extremely proud of.I don't think I can be up there with those two but I aim to improve.”

Prior to his goal against Fulham, the Spurs man had failed to score in over 1,000 minutes of top-flight football in August. With that run now over, a huge weight has been lifted and Kane may benefit directly from that lack of pressure. Lucas Moura has stepped up to the plate in the absence of Heung-Min Son and Mauricio Pochettino will be very happy with his team at this moment in time.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has done it: his barren run without a top-flight goal in August is over.

It would be fair to say that one of the best feelings as a punter comes from when you open your account, only to find a free bet ready to be used on any available betting market.

This is something that bookmakers like Bet365 are clearly aware of, as they provide several useful ways to clinch your own free bet, which can then be used within a given time-period on any of the many markets on their website and mobile app.

Chelsea captain Gary Cahill has decided to step back from England duty for the time being in order to concentrate on his club career. The centre-back was included in the Three Lions squad for the summer World Cup but he managed just one appearance for them during the group stage game versus Belgium which had no meaning.

Since returning to club duty, there have been suggestions that Cahill could be excluded from future squads with England with regular Premier League football but the 32-year-old has now taken the advance decision of stepping down with honour, he told Chelsea TV: “In terms of my international future, I think it is time I take a step back and now I feel that is the right moment. I have been hugely honoured to have played for my country and I would never shut the door if I was needed in the future. I had a good chat with the manager and he could see where I was coming from.”

Former Chelsea midfielder Vinnie Jones has aimed another dig at Raheem Sterling claiming that the Englishman only looks better with top-class players around him. Sterling had gone to the summer World Cup after scoring 23 goals for Manchester City during their title-winning season but he failed to find the scoresheet for the Three Lions during their run to the semi-final.

As such, there has been mixed opinion regarding his performances in the media and Jones has said that Sterling is not effective when he has to play under pressure with the national side, he quipped: “I never got on Sterling’s back, I just said that sometimes his pace gets him out of a lot of trouble. When you go into a better team you play better yourself, there’s not so much pressure on you to dominate games.