For so long, Spain could rival England as a riddle of failure on the international circuit. Great players, passionate fans, a vibrant domestic game and successful clubs went hand-in-hand with a series of hard-luck stories and one fast-fading memory of silverware in the Sixties.

When football's underachievers last met competitively, in Euro 96, even England managed to win a penalty shoot-out after hanging on for a draw.

Gerry Armstrong was present for Spain's biggest let-down, scoring as Northern Ireland stunned the hosts in the World Cup in 1982.

'The mentality has changed,' says Armstrong, who played in La Liga and has become a leading TV pundit on Spanish football. 'They believe in each other and they believe in what they're doing.

'They pass and move and work the ball. I regularly watch games where Barcelona and Real Madrid have close to 70 per cent possession, home or away.

'They have put a lot of effort into their coaching over the last 15 years. They have three times as many coaches as we have in the UK and regulations about release allow the Spanish kids to get more coaching.

'They practice with Size 3 balls when they are six. By the age of 12, they are made tactically aware of their positions and responsibilities on the pitch.

'If you're the winger, you must learn to understand the movement of the centre forward, the central midfielders and the full back.

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