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Russia base at World Cup excites England boss Gareth Southgate

Gareth Southgate was delighted with Harry Kane's late winner
Image: Harry Kane and Gareth Southgate can start preparing for Russia next summer

England may be in unusual surroundings at the World Cup, but Gareth Southgate is convinced they will thrive in their temporary home.

Thursday's unconvincing 1-0 victory against Slovenia wrapped up qualification for next summer's finals with a match to spare, allowing the Football Association to start firming up plans for Russia and the build-up.

Back-to-back home November friendlies against Germany and Brazil were announced just seconds after the final whistle at Wembley, with a trip to Holland among the other preparation matches being lined-up.

Southgate has been on several fact-finding trips to Russia to look at potential training bases and hotels, with the ForRestMix Club in Repino, relatively close to St Petersburg and just 87 miles from the border with Finland, reported to have been settled on.

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Harry Kane scored a last gasp winner as England edged Slovenia 1-0 at Wembley

The hotel is off the beaten track and a far cry from the five-star Auberge du Jeu de Paume that England called home at Euro 2016, but Southgate - a veteran of four major tournaments as a player - believes they will have the right surroundings.

"We've obviously had a look at a few different bases, we've got a couple of different options but we're happy with all of those options," Southgate said.

"The most important thing for me is that we have a base that is exclusively ours. I think that gives the opportunity for the players to relax. It's important and I want their families to be able to come in at the right moments.

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"Base camps don't win and lose tournament - environment can have a part, but tactical, technical ability on the field will win it.

"So the base camp can mask or be used as an excuse for any number of different things. I think we will create a base camp that the players enjoy being at, within an atmosphere that they will enjoy being a part of it and they are going to have a fantastic life experience.

"I think the World Cup in Russia, from what I saw in the Confederations Cup, will be a really good tournament."

Reaching the biggest stage a year after being parachuted into the hotseat vacated abruptly by Sam Allardyce is a big thing for the England boss, while his squad have endured a testing time since their chastening Euro 2016 exit to Iceland.

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"The reality is we are underdogs at the moment, aren't we? I think the reality is that where we are," Southgate said of the country's standing building up to the World Cup.

"We played Iceland in the last Euros and we were favourites. We have to learn how to deal with being favourites.

"If we are playing a team that we think have better players, then we have to set up in a way to beat them. We have got to be able to deal with everything."

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