Greece manager Fernando Santos was proud of his players for reaching the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time but went on to say this about his players: “We have sardines and we are looking at them like they are lobsters.”

With that quote, Santos quickly reminded fans back home and the rest of the world that they did well to reach that stage with their limited resources.

Faced with a group consisting of Ivory Coast, Japan and Colombia, the world thought that Greece would be on the first flight back from Rio to Athens.

Yet to qualify out of the group is a remarkable achievement and it isn’t the first time they have defied the odds.

Look further back in their football history and you realise that these so called “minnows” of football continue to exceed the expectations of the world.

These sardines won the European Championships back in 2004 when no-one expected them to qualify out of the group stages. 

They continually upset the larger nations in the world and do so while remaining modest.

Despite talking about his own team, Santos could have easily been talking about England. 

A group of overpaid players that fail to deliver on their promise at every major tournament. 

The “Golden Generation” of David Beckham, John Terry, Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand and the rest of over-hyped players failed to make it past the quarter final stage while Spain’s golden generation delivered two European Championships and a World Cup in the space of six years.

And while they endured a torid time in south America, they realise they have achieved more than even the most optimistic Spain fan could have dreamed of.

They have made sure that the conveyor belt of talent that has seen them rise to become one of the greatest footballing nations of all time continues to produce young, promising players.

The media and players in England, however, harp on about how the nation has what it takes to go all the way and add another star to the Three Lions’ shirt but deep down know that it will not happen anytime soon.

Maybe it’s time we stopped looking at them as lions and look at them as cats, or in Santos’s terms “lobsters and sardines.” 

That way, if Roy Hodgson’s men get knocked out on penalties to Germany at France 2016, we can talk about how well the nation have done instead of complaining that they didn’t reach the finals.

It’s not just England that should look at the Greeks for inspiration.

A few of the African sides at the World Cup have complained about their bonuses.

Fifa pays each nation $3 million (£1.8 million) for taking part in the tournament.

Cameroon threatened to not show up to the World Cup unless it was paid their bonus in advance.

Ghana made its FA fly a plane filled with the bonus money to Brazil before their third group game or it wouldn’t play the final fixture against Portugal. 

They boycotted training and refused to return until they were paid the money in full.

When offered to have the money transferred to each of their accounts, they refused and demanded the money be paid in cash.

Both teams failed to qualify out of their group.

Greece, however, has turned down its bonus and asked for the money to be put back into sporting facilities for the national side. 

A simple statement read: “We do not want extra bonus or money. We only play for Greece and its people.

“All we want is for you to support our effort to find a land and create a sports centre that will house our national team.”

More teams should follow the example set by Santos and his men.