Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore believes England will leave Qatar next month as World Cup champions.

The Owls made it seven games unbeaten in League One as they beat Shrewsbury Town 1-0 at Hillsborough. Moore's team remained a point behind second-placed Ipswich Town, but they closed the gap on leaders Plymouth Argyle to just three points.

Defender Mark McGuinness headed home from a Barry Bannan corner six minutes before halftime, and the Owls managed to see out the close contest and seal all three points.

That game was Wednesday’s last one before England begins their 2022 World Cup campaign on Monday against Iran. The Euro final heartbreak at Wembley last summer was the closest England has come to winning their second major honour.

However, this tournament has seen a lot of fans and pundits rule out a successful England campaign as they head into it with players injured or out of form; however, Moore still believes England can go all the way.

After Wednesday claimed all three points at the weekend, reporters asked Moore about his previous relationship with England manager Gareth Southgate. He told Yorkshire Live: “Maybe I'm biased, but I've got to look no further than England. I've got firm belief in the boys, in Gareth, I’m right behind the team.

“I'm going to stick my neck out and say England are going to win it. I've got a lot of admiration for Gareth. He took the reins from the under-21s and moved up to the senior team. At that time, I was working from St. George's Park, so our offices were side by side. Working for the PFA and Gareth in his position, we had a lot of time (together).

“I've just got a lot of admiration of the way he's done the job and how he's transformed England. We wish him all the best going forward. It's a big job, a tough job… but we're all behind him. In Gareth we trust in terms of making a statement for that World Cup. He’s a lovely guy and we wish him really, really well.”

 

 

 

 

 

The Verdict

Moore has previously worked with Southgate, so he understands how the England manager operates and how much this opportunity means to him if he leads his country out in another World Cup.

Southgate has altered people's perceptions of the England team, and managers like Moore can now look at Southgate and believe they have the potential to reach that level.

Moore has proven yet again that he is an excellent manager and is doing a great job at Hillsborough and seeing people like Southgate manage at a high level or work in the Premier League gives him reasons to think he has all the ability to do the same himself.