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So it wasn’t so bad after all. Instead of skulking home wearing dark glasses or with blankets over their heads, England will return from Russia with heads held high and rightfully enjoy their day off before reporting for pre-season training.

It was unexpected, it was fun, it was emotional, it was 20 minutes from being incredible. We saw a side of relatively modest pedigree gel into a good, effective unit that played to its strengths. We marvelled at the size of Harry Maguire’s head. We found ourselves considering the purchase of a waistcoat. We imagined what we would do after the final if we actually bloody won the thing.

Russia put on a great tournament and entered into the spirit of things by not invading any adjoining countries, shooting down airliners or poisoning former spies for the duration. VAR sort of worked and gave the TV commentators something else to chew over.  Overall the punditry was pretty good, though I have heard enough of Alan Shearer’s pub-bore statements of the obvious to last me until at least Qatar 2022. Ian Wright, as always, did not disappoint – transmitting exactly the right amount of passion and lunacy. Perhaps it’s just as well we didn’t go all the way. He would literally have died of joy.

But life must go on and already the first friendly of the new season is here. Westcarr and Kelly are coming home. Not quite the home they remembered, but just wait until we have our big new fence. Trump couldn’t build that wall – we can!