It has been an eventful journey from the figure of ridicule to the brink of national treasure status for Gareth Southgate — a road involving pizza, plastic beer glasses, and a brief period as a fashion icon — and now, the England men’s national team manager is potentially 90 minutes away from ending a 28-year wait for redemption at Euro 2024. Very few people are lucky enough to have one career-defining moment, and even fewer get the chance to make amends for a negative one. But Southgate has been so successful since taking charge of England in 2016 — outshining all but one of his predecessors — that the moment that haunted him no longer defines him.

It is still there, of course — the penalty shootout miss against Germany in the Euro ’96 semifinal that ended England’s hopes of a first major title since the 1966 World Cup. Almost three decades on, despite reaching two finals and a semifinal in his four major tournaments as manager, the shadow hangs over Southgate. “It still gets brought up all the time, particularly from media outside of England,” a source close to Southgate told ESPN.

“He’ll never fully shake it off.” If England beat Spain in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final in Berlin, Southgate will almost certainly be headed for Buckingham Palace to be knighted by King Charles III to become “Sir Gareth.” Less than three weeks ago, he was being pelted with plastic beer glasses by England’s disgruntled supporters after a goalless draw against Slovenia.