Teddy Sheringham is one of only a handful of players to have experienced both the highs and the lows of the Three Lions' FIFA World Cup™ rivalry with Argentina.
An unused substitute during the dramatic Round of 16 defeat in France in 1998, he watched from the bench as Manchester United team-mate David Beckham was sent off before England suffered penalty shootout heartbreak. Four years later, Sheringham came off the bench as Sven-Goran Eriksson's side gained a measure of revenge with a 1-0 victory in Sapporo.
There is one memory in particular that has shaped Sheringham's view of this rivalry, and it came after the final whistle of England's 1998 loss in Saint-Etienne.
"Both team buses were parked about 10 yards apart," the former Manchester United striker told FIFA. "We came out from the changing rooms afterwards to get on the buses and we were all waiting while the kit was being loaded.
"The Argentina players were on their bus singing and dancing, banging on the windows, swinging their shirts around, tops off, headbands on – just making it quite clear that they absolutely loved the moment of beating England and knocking us out of the World Cup.
"That lives very vividly in my mind, and I'm sure in everybody else's mind who was there too.”
Ahead of the nations' latest meeting in the , Sheringham believes Thomas Tuchel's side must be prepared for that kind of passion and intensity Argentina have traditionally brought to one of international football's greatest rivalries.
"When you play Argentina in big moments, there are always things that go back through the years,” Sheringham said. “There's obviously a lot of history between the teams and a lot of friction there.
"We need to find something that's going to give us as much drive as they'll have tomorrow night. There's always something about really, really wanting to beat someone, and we need to find that to get us over the line."
Sheringham's memories of France '98 are unsurprisingly wrapped up in Beckham's red card. As club and international team-mates, he witnessed not only the No7’s devastation after the match but the scrutiny that followed over the months that came after.
"You couldn't console him. He was just absolutely devastated," Sheringham recalled. "He'd been sent off and he knew everything was going to be thrown at him because of it.
"Everywhere we went [with Manchester United] he got abuse. Every time he touched the ball there were boos for 90 minutes, for about six months. It was absolute carnage.
"Anyone else with any lesser character wouldn't have come through that. No way."
The next World Cup meeting between the two nations brought a very different ending.in England's favour, while Sheringham was introduced from the bench late in the second half.
"Four years later, Becks was a national treasure," he said. "It's amazing how football turns around. For him to score the penalty, he was delighted - and we were delighted for him.
"When we won in 2002, I don't think we celebrated with the level of passion they celebrated against us with in 1998 – probably because we hadn’t knocked them out of the World Cup. There was something special about that moment for them.”
Sheringham found himself up against one of Argentina's toughest defenders in Walter Samuel that day, with the former Roma centre-back now a key part of Lionel Scaloni’s Albiceleste coaching staff. The former England forward warned the current crop of Three Lions attackers to expect another uncompromising examination this time around.
"South American defenders are naughty," he said with a smile. "They're horrible. They'd kick their gran if they thought she was going to score against them! Stopping their opponents is everything to them.
"England have to be ready again for everything that's going to be thrown at them to stop them scoring a goal."
Leading England's attack once again in the semi-final will be , a striker who - like Sheringham - has led the line for both Tottenham Hotspur and his country.
"I've said it many times, he's a leader,” Sheringham said. “He's a proper player. He hasn't got a bad angle in his game and his armoury.
"Harry is a top professional and a proper captain who leads by example and carries people with him and shows them the way. For me, he’s the best in the world."
While Sheringham believes Kane can carry England into their first World Cup final since winning the trophy in 1966, he recognises the Three Lions must be wary of the threat posed by Argentina’s 39-year-old captain .
"They've got this little No10 who might be quite handy," joked Sheringham, who was 36 when he played in the 2002 World Cup for the Three Lions. "International football becomes harder when you get older but Messi hasn’t relied on his pace, so he has been able to adapt.
“He is not as dynamic but everything good still goes through him and England have got to stop him playing. His vision and his touch... he's just phenomenal.”
For Sheringham, though, the tactical battle is only one part determining who reaches the World Cup final. He believes England must embrace the emotion that has long defined this fixture and is confident that this Three Lions side are well equipped to write a new chapter of their own.
"This is why Tuchel's been brought in – to fine-tune the team for this moment and hopefully the final," he said. "The players are in good form and they understand exactly what's needed. I think we're good enough to get over the line."
Sources: FIFA Official
