Tyrone Mings: England can end trophy drought with help of squad’s ‘serial winners’

Tyrone Mings believes the trophy-winning mentality of England’s players can help the country claim its first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup.

Manchester City’s five Treble-winning players linked up with the squad on Tuesday, joining several others with trophy-winning experience.

“The manager always talks about your club experiences and adding to the group,” said centre-back Mings.

“We have a squad full of serial winners.”

Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips, John Stones and Kyle Walker have helped City win the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup this season.

The past campaign also saw Declan Rice win the Europa Conference League with West Ham, while Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw were part of a Manchester United side that claimed the Carabao Cup.

Previously, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson have won major honours with Liverpool and Kieran Trippier claimed a La Liga winners’ medal with Atletico Madrid.

Gareth Southgate’s England have come close to winning a trophy in recent years by reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and finishing as runners-up at the delayed Euro 2020.

“When you look around the European competitions and domestic competitions and the amount of players that were involved in those it can only help,” added Aston Villa defender Mings, as England prepare for Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta on Friday and North Macedonia on Monday.

“For sure [England can win a trophy] and that’s not just down to talent.

“Talent gets you so far, but everything that the team experienced in the last few tournaments, everything we do in training and the level of consistency the team has shown these past few years, it all adds up and points in the right direction.

“I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be looking at winning. There’s a nice blend of experience and youth, people coming into their peak years.”

City’s England contingent have joined up with Southgate’s squad later than most of the other players after beating Inter Milan in the Champions League final.

Grealish stumbled off the plane on the team’s return home before City celebrated their Treble with an open-top bus parade in Manchester on Monday.

“It is wild. The only thing he [Grealish] needs to do is do it at the right times,” said Mings.

“He’s just won the Treble so I don’t think anybody can begrudge him going out and letting his hair down – those luscious locks of his now he has taken the hairband out. He’s certainly had a good few days.”

England midfielder Henderson added: “They [City players] would have been on a mad journey over the last few days, few weeks, few months for them because they have won a few trophies in that time.

“I bet it has been very emotional for them, it might take them a few days to get back to normal but, hopefully, they are in a position where they can help us in maybe not the first game but the second game.”

Henderson, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, also discussed the challenges of playing the 2022 World Cup in the middle of a season but that he had not entertained thoughts of retiring.

“I suppose you will know when you start maybe not playing or not having an impact in the team and maybe that’s when you have the conversation or the thoughts about what is best to do,” said the 32-year-old.

“But, for me, I still love and enjoy coming away and representing my country. I want to do it as long as possible and I still feel as though I have got a big impact and a big role ahead on the pitch and off the pitch.”