It would be bold and it would be brutal... but I’d bring in Jordan Henderson, the big player for the big game

TACTICALLY, it was quite an obvious switch and, in these multi-substitute days, it will become more and more common.

In fact, if the trend continues towards more and more replacements being allowed, then it won’t be long before a sub replaces a sub who has replaced a sub.

It was a decisive move by Gareth Southgate to hook substitute Jack Grealish and send on Kieran Trippier, but not a bold one.

Here’s a bold one. Turn to a man who knows how to inspire on the biggest stage, but break the heart of a lieutenant who has served you faithfully for six games leading up to Sunday’s final.

Turn to a man who has played in two Champions League finals, captaining his team to a victory just 12 months after a bitter defeat, but give crushing news to someone who has never let you down.

Turn to a man who, a couple of seasons ago, spearheaded a club’s first successful title challenge in three decades, but tell a key foot soldier in the march to the final that he is sitting on the bench.

Turn to Jordan Henderson and tell either Declan Rice or Kalvin Phillips they are dropped.

Now that would be bold. Now that would be brutal. But that would be the right call.

Phillips and Rice have been excellent throughout this tournament, their axis a crucial factor in England’s progress to the ultimate match.

No wonder Rice looked a little exhausted when, for the fourth time, he made way for Henderson on Wednesday.

Remarkably, Phillips shows few signs of fatigue. The only minutes he has missed were 25 against Ukraine when England were four up and a yellow card would have kept him out of the semi-final.

Henderson has not started a game in five months and, with such flexibility from the bench, can have an impact, just as he has done when he has appeared at Euro 2020 for a decent amount of time.

Right now, he seems an ideal substitute. But the Liverpool skipper, who looks fit and fresh after his careful recovery, is a big player, simple as that. A big-game player.

And against Italy, Southgate needs that sort of player from the off.

This is a different-level midfield England will be up against. Jorginho, Marco Verratti, Nicolo Barella, probably. The outstanding Manuel Locatelli might get a shout. Someone will need to

MY TEAM TO FACE ITALY IN THE FINAL stop Jorginho pulling the Southgate ploy. Let youth strings. Henderson (with run them ragged and let Southgate, left) is as wellequipped experience see it out. Fair as anyone. enough.

And while much is made of But this is a final against the England manager’s promotion the savviest of opponents. of youth, he still has This is when you want your a reliance on his senior pros. proven leaders from the

The XI that ended the start. And Henderson is Denmark game had an certainly one of those. average age over 27. Southgate’s decisions have

Of course, that could be a long since gone beyond question but, in English football’s biggest game in over half a century, there is a bold move for him to make.

It would be brutal… but it would be bold. And right.

ENGLAND’S progression to the final of Euro 2020 on Sunday has buried a lot of news, good as well as bad.

But Mark Cavendish (below) is probably accustomed to being under-appreciated in this country. Throughout his long career, his achievements have been overshadowed by the Tour de Francewinning exploits of Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas.

Yet if the 36-year-old goes on to break Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stage victories, it will be one of sport’s most remarkable comeback stories.

And perhaps Cavendish will then finally be saluted as one of the greatestever cyclists our nation has produced.

TO be among a throng of 66,000 singing, cheering, sweaty people at Wembley on Wednesday night was an absolute privilege.

And will be again on Sunday.

But today, I cannot go and watch my daughter in the egg-and-spoon race at her school sports day because a) parents are not allowed on to the wide-open field and b) there is no egg-and-spoon event as it is outlawed by current Covid restrictions. Hey ho, off to London this weekend for some hugging, high-fiving and hollering of Sweet Caroline.

Go figure.

DOES anyone believe this sentiment from Jack Nicklaus who, along with Tony Jacklin, is having an award named after him that will be presented to someone who has shown outstanding sportsmanship at the Ryder Cup?

“The Ryder Cup is a goodwill match between golfing nations,” tweeted Jack. “I don’t think who wins is all that important. What’s most important is the spirit in which the matches are played.”

Yeah, right. If that was still the case, few would care about it, just as relatively few cared about it in the Sixties when Nicklaus conceded a match-halving putt to Jacklin on the final green at Royal Birkdale.

The putt was about two foot in length. At Whistling Straits this September, they will not be giving putts unless the ball-marker is in danger of toppling into the cup.

And the event will be all the more exciting for it.

Sportsmanship? Overrated.