Soccer
The tournament specialist who helped England get back on track with his World Cup goal at France 98
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England get their group stage underway tonight as they take on Croatia in Dallas in the opening exchange of Group L.
Historically, the Three Lions boast a pretty positive record in the group stages, having only failed to win in the first phase on just one occasion in their 16 World Cup appearances, and they rarely leave fans sweating on qualification for the knockout rounds.
One such occasion when England almost left fans in a panic was in 1998, when having beaten Tunisia in their first game, Glenn Hoddle's side lost to Romania in their second, meaning a win over Colombia was a must in their final group-stage fixture.
David Beckham and Michael Owen were given the starts the nation craved, but after twenty minutes, it was a tournament stalwart who settled the team's nerves.
Darren Anderton had played a huge role for the Three Lions at Euro 96 and once again was seen as a key man in this party, and it was his first World Cup goal that opened the scoring and set England on their way to a 2-0 win.
England vs Colombia at France 98
Darren Anderton's World Cup goal
“I think it's number one as an individual achievement because that's the dream, " Anderton exclusively told DAZN News about scoring the goal, thanks to Casino Kings.
“When I was back home in Southampton, smashing a ball against the garage door while my mum and dad were shouting at me for playing, I was dreaming about scoring a goal for England at a World Cup.
“Even now, whenever I think back to that moment, nothing compares to it.
“It meant even more because of everything I'd been through with the injuries and some of the criticism from the media. Then I started the first game while [David] Beckham didn't, so there was plenty of debate about whether he should have been playing instead.
“There were so many emotions wrapped up in that moment that it felt magical. It's something I'm still incredibly proud of and something I always enjoy talking about. It was a truly special moment for me.”
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