THE most agonising moment in the recent history of the England national team is also one of its greatest what-ifs. What if, at Wembley Stadium on the evening of 30 June 1996, Paul Gascoigne had worn a slightly longer style of stud in his Adidas Predator Touch boots? What if Alan Shearer’s extra-time cross, as England toiled against Germany in the semi-finals of the European Championships, had been an inch or so closer to the peroxide-headed midfielder’s desperate, tired lunge? Instead, England were one agonising inch short of the perfect summer.

For the generation of football lovers who came of age in the 1990s, sepia-tinged memories of that tournament play out against a backdrop of Britpop. The sun beamed, Three Lions blared, and new names introduced themselves – Zidane, Poborsky, Kuntz! – while old enemies got reacquainted, with England facing both Scotland and Germany en route to the last four.

To look back on Euro ’96 as a near-perfect festival of football might be to misremember much of the action on the pitch somewhat, though. In the 60-year history of the European Championships, the 1996 incarnation’s miserly average of just 2.06 goals per game is the third lowest, with only 1980 (1.93) and 1968 lower (1.4). And the fact four of the seven knockout-stage matches required a penalty shootout and the final, between Germany and the Czech Republic, was settled in extra time by Oliver Bierhoff’s golden goal suggests there was not the kind of standout side that makes so many tournaments live long in the memory.

Happy 56th birthday to Stuart Pearce Who can forget the passion he showed when playing for England, most notably when he scored in the penalty-shoot-out against Spain during #Euro96? #ENG pic.twitter.com/7wFgUF0Vxn

— England Memories (@EnglandMemories) April 24, 2018

Even England, who matched their best tournament performance in 30 years by making it to the semi-finals, won only two of their five games, with draws – including a shootout win over Spain and a spot-kicks loss to Germany – in the other three.

But if the opening-game draw with Switzerland was a drab let-down, the quarter-final stalemate with Spain memorable only for Stuart Pierce exorcising the demons of Turin with a successful shootout strike and the Germany semi as ultimately gutting as it had been tense, the two victories Terry Venables’ side scored remain among the finest in the Three Lions have ever mustered.

The first, a 2-0 win over Scotland in the second round of group-stage fixtures, is indelibly etched into the memories of the England fans packed into the old Wembley Stadium and the millions watching on from home thanks to two key events separated by mere minutes.

Alan Shearer, who banished a 12-game pre-tournament goal drought to become Euro ‘96’s top scorer with five goals, opened the scoring after 56 minutes. But English nerves jangled midway through the second half as Gary McAllister stood over a penalty kick with the chance to equalise. David Seaman, who had developed something of a reputation for keeping out spot kicks thanks to Cup Winners’ Cup heroics with Arsenal the previous year, manager to deflect the Scottish playmaker’s effort up over the bar. Replays showed the ball, bizarrely, roll slightly the instant before McAllister struck, for which spoon-troubling illusionist Uri Geller would soon claim credit.

A reminder that England v Scotland at Euro 96 is being rerun on ITV4 on Sunday evening.

Yes Gazza…#Euro96Relived pic.twitter.com/QNim8tHUTR

— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) May 16, 2020

And when Seaman boomed a free-kick upfield moments later, the ball quickly found its way to Gascoigne on the edge of the Scotland penalty area. The Rangers midfielder ingeniously lifted the ball over attendant centre-back Colin Hendry before meeting it as it dropped to smash a right-footed volley beyond club-mate Andy Goram. Injuries and personal problems meant Gascoigne’s career hadn’t gone exactly to plan since the halcyon summer of Gazzamazia six years earlier, but here all the gifts that made him such a special talent were on show as he produced one of England’s greatest-ever goals.

And next came one of England’s greatest-ever performances. Against a strong and favoured Holland side, Venables’ men were irresistible. Shearer and strike partner Teddy Sheringham split the home nation’s scoring in a breath-taking 4-1 win, while Patrick Kluivert’s late strike drew wry English smiles upon the realisation that it was enough to send the Dutch through to the knockout phase at Scotland’s expense.

96: Alan Shearer scored one of the most iconic England goals in the 4-1 win v Holland

What's your favourite moment?pic.twitter.com/OuuBm0FcX5

— Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) October 26, 2017

By the time they reached Germany in the semi-final, practise made almost perfect for England. Shearer’s early goal had been cancelled out by a Stefan Kuntz strike, and Gascoigne’s late lunge couldn’t prevent penalty kicks. But despite having had their hearts broken from 12 yards by the same opposition at the same stage of the World Cup in 1990, England’s confidence from the spot was boosted by a miss-free shootout success over Spain.

England’s first five penalties were unstoppable, but Germany matched them every time. Then the unlikely figure of Gareth Southgate stepped up to fire the first sudden-death effort, needing to score to keep alive England’s hopes of home-soil glory. His scuffed strike found goalkeeper Andreas Kopke’s falling grasp before Andreas Moller fired Germany through.

But while there was no fairytale ending, and in hindsight the quality of the football often fell short, Euro ’96 was still England’s moment in the sun, a tournament performance unequalled until the 2018 World Cup. Led now into another European Championship by Southgate, that unfortunate fall guy, the sound of Three Lions rings out still, the tune tinged yet more melancholy for an added 25 years of hurt, but as hopeful as ever.