England have turned to world champions Germany and New Zealand’s rugby union team in a bid to finally halt their dismal record at major tournaments, it can be revealed.

As part of a memorandum of understanding signed by the Football Association and German FA (DFB) in March, discussions have taken place about how England’s arch-rivals prepare for World Cups and European Championships and their set-up while they are playing at them.

Gareth Southgate and his coaching team have also been working with a well-known advisor to the All Blacks, who are widely regarded as the best team in world sport and who famously have a ‘No D---heads’ policy when it comes to the attitude of their players.

Great Britain’s record-breaking Olympic team has been looked at as well, as part of a concerted effort by Southgate to learn about how other sports develop a winning culture.

The 46-year-old is determined to leave no stone unturned in his efforts to do the same with England, whose humiliating Euro 2016 exit at the hands of Iceland was the latest in a long line of flops at major tournaments dating back a decade.

Since Southgate took charge, every player called into the squad has been asked to watch a seven-minute film about what it takes to win, which begins with footage of his own penalty-shootout miss in England’s Euro 96 defeat against Germany.