Germany v England: Manager Gareth Southgate takes charge against one of his past on-field rivals

England manager Gareth Southgate speaks during the squad announcement at St George's Park, Burton, England, on March 16, 2017. Simon Cooper / AP

■ Friendly: Germany v England: Wednesday, 11.45pm UAE, Abu Dhabi Sports

There is one clip that broadcasters are guaranteed to show on Wednesday night.

Gareth Southgate launched a pre-emptive strike by making his players watch it on Monday. Then an England centre-back, his tentative penalty was saved by Andreas Kopke. It was the semi-final of the 1996 European Championships, the sole miss. Andreas Moller duly converted from 12 yards and Germany proceeded to the final, which they duly won.

If Southgate has spent the subsequent 21 years having to deal with it, the reality that his first game as England’s permanent manager comes in Dortmund and that Germany’s goalkeeping coach now is the self-same Kopke had the feel of inevitability.

Germany form the comparison England can never avoid, the contrast between achievers and underachievers growing greater every two years.

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Southgate himself pointed out last week that England have only gone farther than Germany once in a major tournament since 1966: Euro 2004, when Wayne Rooney seemed the continent’s most exciting teenage talent. But it was his contemporaries Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm and Lukas Podolski, the youngest members of a troubled German group, who went on to become World Cup winners.

Thirteen years later, Southgate has shown a ruthlessness that Roy Hodgson and Sam Allardyce lacked, dropping Rooney and perhaps ending an international career that has been a statistical success – a record 53 goals in 119 caps – but a failure in other respects.

As Southgate noted when a mild-mannered man made piercing criticisms, England have only won three knockout games in tournaments in 27 years. Only one involved Rooney. He is far from the sole reason but a wretched record in competitions since Euro 2004 hardly offered grounds to persevere with a declining player.

Rooney could be seen as a symbolic sacrifice, but while Jermain Defoe, 34, was recalled for scoring goals this season – something the Manchester United man has struggled to do – an era has ended.

Another has begun.

It is telling that the squad feature a sprinkling of Southgate’s former charges from the England Under 21 team, including the uncapped trio of James Ward-Prowse, Nathan Redmond and Michael Keane. The search is on for players untainted by defeat and disappointment, even if the U21s, much like the senior side, tend to prove capable of qualifying for major tournaments and incapable of winning them.

But Southgate has sent signals that the continuity of mediocrity will not be tolerated. Theo Walcott was unceremoniously dropped, Jack Wilshere notably omitted. There were meritocratic recalls for Defoe, Jake Livermore, Phil Jones and Ross Barkley, a victim of the privileged status afforded to Rooney.

However, a new reign will not start with a new figurehead. Jordan Henderson led England twice in Southgate’s caretaker reign. Harry Kane was also touted as a candidate for the captaincy. Both are injured, which also means England go to the Westfalenstadion without two of their automatic choices. A third, Danny Rose, is also sidelined.

As ever, Germany are both rivals and role models, their youth policy so effective it propelled them to a fourth World Cup win in Brazil, their mentality so strong that they have become the ultimate tournament team.

England have actually won their last two friendlies in Germany. A 3-2 triumph last May, three months before their Euro 2016 capitulation to Iceland, ranks as the most recent of the many false dawns.

For England, this is a start, for Germany an end. The retiring Podolski will win his 130th and final cap. He is a last link to the side that failed to win a game at Euro 2004.

For England, too, it is a break from the past. The future, they must hope, will be better.

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