IT HAS become one of the most iconic images in the 149-year history of the England football team. The gigantic scoreboard above the celebrating away fans in Munich’s Olympiastadion displayed a simple message in golden letters that reverberated around the world: Deutschland England 1:5. With 14.6 million watching the live BBC coverage, legendary commentator John Motson signed off with the words: “It was a night to say you were there.”

In 20 years of following the national team around the world it remains my favourite memory of watching England abroad. Not until I saw Luke Shaw half-volley England into the lead at the Euro 2020 final has any moment in football surpassed the joy of seeing Steven Gerrard fire home his first international goal to give England a half-time lead in Germany that was never relinquished. After that it just got “better and better and better.”

For Motson the highlight came at the end, when the Four Tops’ 1988 hit Loco in Acapulco blasted around a disbelieving stadium. “When the final whistle went I just looked at the scoreboard because I couldn’t really believe what I’d just seen,” he tells me. “I had a look at it to confirm that it was really 5-1.”