2018 will go down as one of the best in the history of the England national team chiefly, but not only, because of their semi-final appearance at the World Cup in Russia.
If your glass is always half-empty then of course you can point to the fact that England had a very favourable run to the final four but with the temperatures soaring back at home the team gave people something to look forward to, each upcoming match being a date in the diary to meet up with friends, organise a barbecue or seek out an open-air big screen.
That it was a group of younger players who genuinely enjoyed the experience added to the feel-good factor but there was much more to it than simply a lack of fear on their behalf.
Realising both the abilities and limitations of his team, Gareth Southgate and his backroom staff came up with a system and a plan designed to get the most out of the players, play on the weaknesses of opponents and exploit the use of VAR technology to the full.
When looking at the best years for the England team of course both 1990 and 1996 come to the fore.
However, the departures of both Bobby Robson and Terry Venables after successful tournaments stalled any sense of momentum being built up whereas Southgate has been able to maintain a sense of continuity while also using the World Cup almost as a starting point for what he wants to do in the job.
That has manifested itself in the introduction of yet more fresh faces during the Nations League campaign with the new tournament itself giving added momentum to what is usually a flat post-tournament time in the international game.
And adding to the sense of both continuity and momentum are the performances of England teams at all age levels with the Under-21’s especially moving impressively through qualifying for their European Championship next summer.
There's plenty to look forward to in 2019 and hopefully another positive year will send England into Euro 2020 (the final stages of which are being played on home soil) in buoyant mood.