Never Stop Dreaming

Stuart Pearce's place in England's 1996 European Championship story rests on one moment: the wild, unrestrained celebration after he scored his quarter-final penalty against Spain in the shootout. That reaction spoke for the whole country. England did not lift the trophy, but the summer, with the Three Lions anthem drifting out of pubs, bars, car radios and open windows, strengthened the revival of the game across the nation.

Pearce also writes about his friendships with Paul Gascoigne and Gareth Southgate, including the night the three of them were pulled onstage by the Sex Pistols. He covers the semi-final against Germany and the further heartbreak of the penalty shootout, when Southgate missed England's sixth kick.

Throughout, he considers what the tournament meant to him, to Southgate and to the wider country. Told first-hand, the book recalls a summer when England's supporters embraced football and the nation lost itself in the excitement of a tournament played on home soil.