If England get the luck they need it's only a matter of time before they win a major tournament - Nigel Clough

A former England international himself, the Mansfield Town boss said to win a trophy you do need the luck to go for you – and England did not have that as they lost 2-1 in Saturday's quarter-final against France.

“I think Saturday's exit highlights just how many things you need to go for you to win a tournament over a period of weeks – a bit similar to promotion over a longer period. Things need to drop for you,” he said.

“I don't think England could have played any better or done anything different.

“As a manager, when you are looking back, the worst feeling you can get is 'I wish I had done that' or 'I should have played him or used a different formation'.

“There will be none of that. I think they put the best team out, played as well as they could against the world champions and just the key moments, in games whether it's a break here or a break there, didn't go for them.

“Even Giroud's goal, which came off Maguire's shoulder – that could go anywhere. It could go wide, it could go over the bar, it can hit Pickford – anything. It didn't – it went in the back of the net.

“Then we got the penalty. How it wasn't given the first time or why they actually needed to look at it I don't know. As soon as you saw it you knew it was a penalty.

“Unfortunately Kane put it over the bar. No matter what you do, things sometime don't drop for you.”

But Clough has huge belief England are close to something big.

“The teams that reached the last four – things have gone for them at certain times, whether it's winning on penalties or whatever. It just hasn't gone for England,” he said.

“But I will tell you what they have done. Since Gareth took over they have gone from being hopefuls or possibles into serious contenders – and it's only a matter of time.

“You look at Exeter in our league and five years in the play-offs or whatever and now they're up. It is only a matter of time before England win a major tournament if things go their way.

“So it is now absolutely vital that Gareth and Steve Holland stay and try and see it through.”

Southgate has had some criticism from certain quarters saying he should go. But Clough said: “More than anything they need support at the moment. I don't get where the criticism comes from where they have taken the England team in the last few years.

“They have taken it on. I know we have got some very good young players, but they have developed them.

“With the strength of the Premier League, being the strongest league in the world at the moment, you can see that as well.

“But they now need that time and backing – and I think 99 per cent of the people are with them. We need them at least another four years to see what this group can do.

“We don't want to win something and then dip. The way we are building at the moment it can be for a sustained period of time when you look at the strength of the England side at younger age groups.

“It's the same at club level. Can you put something in place so they are challenging over a number of year and not just the odd season?”