England are determined to get past the group stage at the World Cup in Russia but the main target is to "inspire the nation," the Football Association`s technical director Dan Ashworth has said.


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England finished bottom of their group at the last World Cup in Brazil and suffered a humiliating defeat by Iceland in the last-16 at Euro 2016.


"There isn`t a set, `we must get to round X or Y` for it to be a success," Ashworth said of the June 14 to July 15 World Cup, where England are grouped with Belgium, Panama and Tunisia.


"It`s a knockout tournament, which is always really difficult because you can get to a certain stage, be a bit unlucky but play well, a sending off ... and you go out of a tournament earlier than you hoped or expected," he told BBC. 


"So there isn`t a set `we must reach that round` but we want to inspire the nation, we want to inspire our supporters."


When asked whether Southgate`s future hinges on whether England progress to knockout stage, Ashworth said: "We haven`t got into that level of detail.


"Gareth`s got a contract through to 2020 - we and he hope he`s still here to lead us into what is pretty much a home Euros now in 2020."