Sancho, Mount have world at their feet
Just three months on from the bitter disappointment of losing a first World Cup semifinal for 28 years, England visit Croatia tonight in the Nations League seeking not only revenge, but also a long-term solution to a familiar shortcoming.
For all the progress made by the Three Lions in a glorious Russian summer, a familiar lack of midfield authority ultimately undid England as Croatia’s Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic took control of their semifinal to come from a goal down in Moscow.
It was a similar story when Spain came to Wembley last month to puncture England’s feel-good factor in a 2-1 Nations League win.
A run to the last four with the third youngest squad at the World Cup raised expectations of what is to come from a richly talented generation.
However, Gareth Southgate has gone even younger in his search for the midfield maestro he believes England have lacked since the days of Paul Gascoigne.
Jadon Sancho, 18, and Mason Mount, 19, who made moves to get more first team football, and James Maddison, who jumped to the Premier League, are all rerope’s warded with a first call-up.
Sancho has lit up the Bundesliga since his decision to turn down Pep Guardiola’s pleas to keep him at Manchester City and join Borussia Dortmund last year.
Compared to Neymar by his former England under-16 coach Dan Micciche, Sancho has more assists than any player in Eu- top five leagues with nine this season, including one in the Champions League.
Maddison and Mount aren’t yet playing at that level, but they too have shunned the top six sides in the Premier League to ensure more minutes on the field.
Wanted by Liverpool as a teenager, Maddison instead moved to Norwich before joining Leicester this summer to join two members of the World Cup squad, Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy.
“I looked at the Leicester squad and saw Harry and Jamie as regulars for England. I thought that is where I want to be, that is where I want to get to,” said Maddison, who has scored three goals and provided two assists in eight Premier League appearances.
Mount is still a Chelsea player, but after scoring 13 goals on loan at Vitesse Arnhem last season, is enjoying another fruitful loan spell with Derby under former England and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard. – AFP