Jason Steele's World Cup memories

“That’s what dreams are made of,” said Jason Steele. “It’s a story of perseverance and sacrifice.”

The Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper is eyeing a place in England’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad after receiving his first senior call-up from Thomas Tuchel last time out.

But the 35 year old’s affinity with the tournament began almost three decades ago, dating back to the 1998 edition of the World Cup when Glenn Hoddle’s Three Lions headed out to France.

“That is going back a long time,” he said. “I remember playing a football tournament in the north of England somewhere.

“I can remember watching England v Argentina in the clubhouse. We were in a caravan park. That's my first memory.”

Four years on, Steele – aged 12 – witnessed Sven-Göran Eriksson’s England go one better and reach the quarter-final where they were beaten by eventual champions Brazil.

“I can remember watching it in in school because, obviously, it was in Japan and South Korea, so we watched it in school and I remember watching it in the PE hall on a big projector, so that's a good memory – a nice memory,” he continued.

And he looked up to some of world football and England’s greats as a child cheering on the Three Lions.

“The obvious ones are David Beckham and Michael Owen,” he said. “They were the heroes of the time.

“Back then, for me, it was David Seaman – I loved watching him. He was an unbelievable goalkeeper. He was always brilliant for Arsenal and for England. He was unbelievable, especially around those years, as well, when he was at his peak.

“When you look back to those teams, they were superstars and you looked up to them and they were the reason you wanted to copy everything they did. They made you fall in love with football. Hopefully this generation can do the same.”

More recently, England’s run to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia also holds a special place in his heart, reaching the last four for the first time since Italia 90.

“That was brilliant for me,” recalled Steele. “It was special because that was the year I signed at Brighton, so I remember actually watching a few of games with Lewis Dunk.

“I’d just signed and it was pre-season time, watching the team out in Russia. We definitely watched one game on a pre-season trip in Austria. We would watch games around each other's houses.

“They did so well and they were unlucky in the end not to reach the final. For me, it was a special time in my life, anyway.”

Steele – who represented England at youth level, missing out on the U17s World Cup through illness and the U20s tournament as a result of injury – even had the chance to meet the former England boss.

“I was fortunate enough to work with Gareth Southgate at Middlesbrough when I was really young,” he explained.

“I got the opportunity when he was the manager there to play a game in pre-season. I was only 16 or 17 but he gave me a chance to play in the first team which was unbelievable.”

But the World Cup – and following England at the tournament – means much more than performances on the pitch, for Steele.

“It's the pinnacle,” he said. “It’s every four years the whole nation comes together, no matter who their alliances are on a Saturday at three o'clock.

“Everybody is one; everybody supports a common goal. I think that makes it truly special. We've got an amazing country and when we all stick together and we all have a common purpose, then we're a really powerful country.

“That's what makes it really special for me is seeing everyone, no matter, race, religion, we're all together with one common purpose, and that's to be the best and to support each other and help each other. I think that's what English culture is to me.”