DEREK Fazackerley believes Gareth Southgate will only find out the magnitude of the job he has done with England after the World Cup.

The Oxford United first-team coach has experience of big tournaments with his country, having been assistant manager to Kevin Keegan in Euro 2000.

England go into today’s quarter-final against Sweden with a nation daring to believe that football is coming home.

Fazackerley is backing Southgate’s side to reach the final, and is full of admiration for the job done by the manager, with few believing there was much chance of success in Russia before the tournament started.

“Gareth is a very, very intelligent person,” he said.

“He has been able to work with a group of players through the under 21 system and now has many of those in the full team.

“They have found a way to win matches and hopefully that can continue.”

Fazackerley (pictured) says being at the heart of the squad is an amazing experience, and although aware of the clamour for success, it is impossible to fully appreciate it.

“It’s an incredible experience and you have to be brutally honest and say you are one of the proudest people in the world to be part of that,” he said.

“When it is over, there is a huge, huge amount of disappointment.

“It can be very hard not to get carried away, but the time to do that is at the end of the game when you have won.

“The euphoria certainly comes out then – and so it should.”

He added: “The scrutiny and intensity of people looking at the group is even more now than it was back then.

“With social media and everything else, the coverage is certainly at a different level now than when I was involved those 18 years ago.

“That interest and excitement is something you are aware of, but whether you actually appreciate the enormity of that I am not sure.

“It is maybe only afterwards when it is really brought home to you.”

Southgate was part of the Euro 2000 squad and Fazackerley said his qualities were clear.

“He is very clever and is now experienced enough as a manager to know exactly what he is doing,” he said.

“Certainly Gareth has done most things right so far and will have worked very hard to make sure that is the case.”

He added: “Hopefully the penalty shoot-out win the other night will make the squad even stronger and though they have not been completely faultless, they have done extremely well.

“Long may it continue.”