England are right up among the best as wide boys find place of their own
THERE was a time when playing full-back meant you were one step away from not playing at all – a position filled by those not quite good enough, big enough or trusted enough to play in midfield or at the heart of defence.
Or, in the case of Sol Campbell and Steven Gerrard, the No.2 or No.3 shirt was chucked to a promising youngster still finding their feet in the men’s game. Good enough to play, just not old enough to do a proper job. Even Gary Neville, the archetypal 1990s career right-back, was initially expected to move into the centre of defence when he started shaving.
Well, times have changed. With 4-4-2 formations largely a thing of the past and low blocks, high presses and narrow midfields making the centre of the pitch more congested than ever, full-backs have become the key to unlocking the game and no one, evidence suggests, produces better ones than the birthplace of football.
At the 2018 World Cup the right side of defence was arguably England’s greatest area of strength, with Gareth
Southgate taking the experience of Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier and the promise of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Russia.
The latter has now established himself as Southgate’s first choice and arguably the best English player in the top flight over the past two years. Walker and Trippier – both 30 and first choice at Champions League contenders Manchester City and Atletico Madrid – were named in the England squad yesterday. However, such is the increasing competition, it would not be a major surprise if neither make the cut for the next major international tournament, whenever that is.
Reece James has usurped club captain Cesar Azpilicueta as Chelsea’s first choice on the right flank, while the equally uncapped Tariq Lamptey – who few serious football fans had heard of a year ago – has emerged so impressively at Brighton that Bayern Munich are rumoured to have put him on their Christmas card list.
So that’s five serious talents without even talking about Manchester United’s £50million Aaron Wan
‘Young English talent funnelled out wide in search of a game is grasping the chance’
Bissaka, arguably the best ‘pure’ defender among the right-sided men. Even Aston Villa and Southampton paid more than £10m-a-piece for young English right-backs this summer, with Matty Cash and Kyle Walker-Peters realistically vying to be seventh or eighth choice to pull on England’s No.2 shirt any time soon.
The question as to why England are producing high-quality full-backs in such abundance is a hard one to answer but maybe it comes back to that old route into the side – trust and opportunity. With big-money signings often closing the first-team door to academy products in the positions of glamour and responsibility – forward, playmaker
or stopper, young English talent is funnelled out wide in search of a game and it’s one they are grasping the chance with both hands.
Joined by a raft of wannabe wingers forced to find a new home by the fashion for 4-3-3 and the Premier League is awash with quick, highenergy right-backs with the technique to play elsewhere but not always the opportunity.
Now if only Southgate could say the same about a few other positions.