James Ward-Prowse and his team-mates are determined to change the perception of English football by winning the Under-21 European Championship.
The Young Lions are preparing for a fifth successive finals appearance, although they have not won the tournament since the back-to-back successes of 1982 and 1984.
Worse still, the last two tournaments have ended at the first hurdle, with the last edition in Israel particularly embarrassingly given they returned home without even a point.
Gareth Southgate's men look well-placed to right some wrongs, though, and bookmakers make them second favourites behind Germany to triumph in the Czech Republic.
Ward-Prowse is among the Under-21s' key men and, having come through the national team ranks, insists there is no inferiority complex or historical burden that comes with donning the Three Lions.
"Playing for England is the best thing for us as players," said the 20-year-old, whose first memory of the national team was the 2002 World Cup.
"Although we haven't had that experience of winning trophies as a country, that's all in the past and we're trying to look forward.
"We want to change that perception of us as players by being successful and winning a trophy.
"I loved football growing up and my dad told me all about 1966. It would be great to do something like that."
The squad certainly appears to have the togetherness and ability to do that, with last summer's Toulon tournament helping to strengthen the players' bond.
The Young Lions reached the semi-finals in the south of France, where Ward-Prowse was named third best player and scooped the goal of the tournament award for his exceptional free-kick against Brazil.
"It was one I will never forget and it really gelled us together as a team," he said. "The perception that people have of young English players is not great.
"We want to show that isn't the case. We want to play for England and do the country proud.
"Over the years, it hasn't been positive. I was in the Under-20 World Cup and it didn't go right for us. It isn't nice when that happens."
The Under-20s finished bottom of a group including Iraq, Chile and Egypt at the tournament two years ago, but those experiences have helped those involved, like Harry Kane, John Stones and Ward-Prowse.
"I'm certainly going to do different to what I did at the Under-20 World Cup to make sure that I am physically and mentally right," Ward-Prowse said.
"I think managing the downtime, I will use that better to make sure I am physically relaxed.
"Being young, you learn different ways to recover. I will keep that in mind with the tough games we have got coming up."
Unlike England trips of years gone by, Southgate and his staff are giving their players the freedom to make take control of their downtime.
Ward-Prowse believes such preparation will hold them in good stead when they make the 51-mile trip from their Olomouc base to Uherske Hradiste for Thursday's Group B opener against Portugal.
They beat England in the Toulon third-placed play-off last summer, but Southgate's men triumphed 3-1 when the nations met in a friendly that November.
"They're all top quality teams, but there's a lot of emphasis on the first game because if we get off to a good start and get a win we'll be in a good position for the other two games," Ward-Prowse said.
"If we can win our first game we'll be a in a great position."
Success in the Czech Republic could see a number of uncapped players make the jump to the senior team and, potentially, the Euro 2016 reckoning.
Ward-Prowse is undoubtedly amongst them having been recently described by Roy Hodgson as a "big prospect" and a player on his radar.
"It's great to hear that, and gives me a good incentive that if I continue to perform well I'll give myself a good chance to get into the senior squad," the midfielder said, having been made aware of the comments as Southampton prepared to fly home from a defeat at Everton.
"This summer is a massive chance, a massive platform for us to go on. If we can perform individually it will stand us in good stead for the future.
"It's exciting as playing for England is the pinnacle over everyone's career, and it's nice to know that it's within touching distance."
Source: PA
