KID RUBEN CAN BE QATAR HERO
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY ACTION Loftus-Cheek nailed on for 2022
GARETH SOUTHGATE oversaw the official opening of his new England Youth Club last night.
The fact he decided to invite the world champions to come along too shows just how brave Southgate is being in his bid to be respected and successful.
This was England’s least experienced side in almost four decades, with just 101 caps between the starting line-up.
Southgate is ‘getting down with the kids’ in the hope that most of them mature into grown men of international standing on the football stage.
It would be wrong to dismiss the significance of next summer’s World Cup in Russia just because the Three Lions have no chance of winning it.
With the exception of Italia ’90 and Euro ’96, we have had little or no chance of winning a major tournament since our finest hour back in 1966.
It’s still crucial the Three Lions make significant progress on the biggest stage of all in eight months but Southgate’s blooding of an exciting new crop of talent is about much more than Russia 2018.
He’s looking at the bigger picture and his sights will be firmly focused on Qatar 2022.
Southgate might not still be in the same job then but if he isn’t it won’t be for his lack of effort, imagination or daring. Since taking charge Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Harry Winks have all become teacher’s pets in Southgate’s school of modern football.
But when it comes to finding a commanding central midfielder of genuine international class, he has inherited a load of dunces in Jordan Henderson, Jake Livermore and Jesse Lingard.
Yet something is stirring at St George’s Park where development teams are starting to offer us hope of a golden future and one of the latest prospects to roll off the production line is Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Southgate described him as “the biggest kid in the playground” but there’s no child’s play involved where Germany are concerned. Loftus-Cheek is 21 and built like a brick outhouse (what did his mum feed him on?) but his creative touches and assured control belie someone who looks like more suited to Twickenham than Wembley.
Places are up for grabs in Southgate’s World Cup squad and the side is in desperate need of someone to produce that creative flair to unlock the meanest of defences.
Nutmeg
Loftus-Cheek was one of three debutants facing the audition of their lives as Southgate looks to emulate the German blueprint for success – and he passed it with flying colours.
Don’t forget the foundations for Germany’s World Cup win in Brazil in 2014 were laid four years earlier in South Africa.
Loftus-Cheek’s first contribution was to nutmeg Marcel Halstenberg. His second was a deft pass to Kieran Trippier that allowed the Tottenham full-back to charge into space towards a retreating defence.
He looked to find space behind the German rearguard and twice put himself in strong scoring positions, only to be denied the crucial pass he needed.
He got stronger as the game went on and ran the show in the second half.
But the most encouraging aspect of his performance was the fact that the Chelsea loanee didn’t hide. He showed an appetite for the ball.
Such a work ethic might surprise those at Stamford Bridge, where Loftus-Cheek acquired the nickname ‘Cazh’ (short for casual) due to his lackadaisical attitude and reluctance to bust a gut at times.
Yet going to Crystal Palace on loan has given him a new direction and purpose and he showed some real glimpses of huge potential.
Last night he was literally one of the boys in blue that might have to forget about returning from Russia with love because it comes too soon.
Instead, Southgate should aim to reach for the stars in Qatar where Loftus-Cheek can shine bright. JEREMY CROSS