6 DAYS TO GO

ELLAND Road no longer has its diamond lights, but last night England suggested that they do. Marcus Rashford illuminated England’s final public performance before they depart for Russia next week with a display that suggests he could make an impact at his first World Cup, even if he does not win a place in the starting line-up.

Gareth Southgate wasn’t looking for any great breakthroughs against Costa Rica — he almost certainly knows his starting line-up by now — but Rashford provided a reminder of the strength in depth, certainly in England’s forward line.

He scored a lovely goal, played an exquisite pass in the build-up to England’s second, and delivered an energetic, bold 90 minutes that showed he was a serious contender for any of four forward positions in the event of injury — or certainly could be first off the bench if England seek to unlock a resilient defence.

This was Rashford’s night, even if he shared the goals with Danny Welbeck, whose second-half intervention showed why it is unfair to cast aspersions on his place in the squad. Rashford worked a sweet little ball through to Dele Alli, whose cross was met by a diving header from Welbeck at the far post.

The margin of victory was no more than England deserved for an accomplished, controlled display that risked little in the way of physical injury, while appearing totally commanding throughout.

This was largely Southgate’s shadow XI — John Stones, Jordan Henderson and, possibly, Harry Maguire aside — but they looked committed and lively, even if the tempo did drop off after half-time, as tends to happen.

Fabian Delph, certainly, did himself a favour with a hardworking stint in midfield, full of the vim and energy that might not have been apparent had populist favourites Jonjo Shelvey or Jack Wilshere been selected. There were debuts, too, for Trent Alexander-Arnold and goalkeeper Nick Pope, who had not even played a Premier League game when this season began.

It was one of those nights when everyone wanted to play with Rashford. Team-mates sought him out, even if there were easier options. They could see he was alight, see he was the best player, that he was having a match that might just change the mind of his manager.

Henderson fizzed forward passes his way, Delph and Danny Rose attempted clever one-twos. Even when these did not come off, Rashford somehow made them work. Delph stuck one in to Rose, which he miscontrolled — but Rashford saved the day, scrambling to the touchline, keeping the ball in. This was his night, and everyone inside Elland Road knew it. His name drew a smattering of boos when first read out. A Manchester United man, you see. By halftime he might as well have been one of their own. It wouldn’t do to bear a grudge, faced with a performance like this. They don’t see talent like this around these parts, sadly. The days when Leeds produced England forwards have, for the moment, gone. So this was a thrill for them, as well as him.

Where has this player been for Manchester United this season? What has Jose Mourinho done with him?

‘Now you see why I always picked Romelu Lukaku,’ Mourinho sneered after one tepid performance from his understudies, but can this be all the player’s fault? He didn’t seem to lack confidence in an England shirt, didn’t appear reluctant to take risks, to run at defenders, to try his tricks, to shoot from range. He did everything Manchester United wanted of him all season. So where has he been, and why so different?

The goal, of course, was his crowning glory. Rashford picked the ball up on the right, looked, saw Costa Rica backing off, saw goalkeeper Keylor Navas slightly off his line, and went for it.

At first it looked as if his shot had gone through Navas’s hands, Loris Karius style, but replays revealed the truth: the goalkeeper was simply caught out. It went over his hands and he was slow to react, it wasn’t his finest moment, but there was no handling error. Rashford simply beat him with power, dip, a lovely strike, his third in an England shirt.

One imagines he will have to maintain this in every training session between now and the eve of the match with Tunisia to turn Southgate’s head. The team is as good as picked, only one player kept his place from Saturday’s win over Nigeria — Stones at the back — but there is still time for a bolter. But where?

Presuming Harry Kane’s position is secure, including Rashford would mean leaving out one of Alli, Jesse Lingard or Raheem Sterling. Southgate would be unlikely to lose faith with any member of that trio on the back of an impressive display in a friendly. But, if it wasn’t working? Southgate will surely recall this night when he is hailing the first cab off the rank.

In the circumstances — that many of the players must by now know they are squad men, when the tournament starts at least — this was a very decent performance. The game was nine minutes old when a Delph corner was met by a header from Phil Jones and tipped over by Navas.

Another set-piece almost extended England’s lead after 20 minutes. Jones and Maguire both won headers and Jamie Vardy almost pounced on a loose ball from close range, Navas doing well to smother.

At the other end, Jack Butland made one save from Johan Venegas but, frankly, Costa Rica were not up to much. They won’t be the same team as in 2014; the same might be said of England.