Sterling and Rashford fear for their places as rivals turn up the heat
Mount and Grealish all impressing ahead of Euros players need strong end to season to secure spots
Wearing the captain’s armband, Raheem Sterling spent 45 minutes against San Marino looking like a man who knows the script only too well when England are getting ready to appear in a major tournament.
Ahead of the game, manager Gareth Southgate claimed he could name his team for England’s European Championship opener against Croatia if the match were taking place tomorrow, and presumably Sterling would be in it.
But Southgate later recognised, and Sterling is savvy enough to know, that pretty much everything is up for discussion in the final months leading up to a tournament, and the Manchester City forward will remember only too well how much of that debate has centred around him in England’s past two major finals.
At the last Euros, in 2016, Sterling was the self-proclaimed “hated one” as he became a target for the fans in what transpired to be a dismal tournament and, two years later, there remained those who voiced their doubts over his inclusion in the team who reached the semi-finals of the World Cup.
In truth, any debate in 2018 was largely phoney, as Sterling’s worth to the team was evident and he was among several excellent performers. But now aged 26, at Wembley he looked like a man with a point to prove once again.
That appeared to be recognised by Southgate who, after watching Sterling snatch at a series of chances before getting on the scoresheet with a deflected goal, said: “Raheem was trying a bit too hard and I was pleased for him when he got his goal. You could see his determination and that’s never in question.”
One can only speculate why Sterling was trying too hard, but it is not outlandish to think he realises a selection debate could open up following a strange month at City, during which he has found himself out of the team just as often as he has been in it. The San Marino game was also his first for England since last September, and during that time Sterling has seen the likes of Phil Foden, who replaced him at halftime, Mason Mount and Jack Grealish all come in and impress.
Mount can play in a variety of positions, but has recently played on both the left and on the right, while Grealish, who is injured, has the weight of public opinion behind him for a place on the left.
“Mason’s just a top player,” said Southgate. “Not only his work with the ball, but the way he presses, his weight of pass and all-round game are very good, and he’s mature, too.”
Marcus Rashford, like Sterling, would be a certain inclusion in any team for the Euros Southgate picked tomorrow. But, also like Sterling, the Manchester United forward has not enjoyed the best run of form and is nursing an injury, as is Jadon Sancho, who is not with the squad.
Having set the bar so high, Sterling will be disappointed that he has scored only nine Premier League goals this season and is on course to register his lowest return since before the last World Cup.
He is performing better in terms of assists, having set up five league goals for team-mates this season, but, unlike Foden, his confidence is unlikely to be at its peak after spending more time on the substitutes’ bench than he would have liked.
“It’s hard to say unstoppable, but I feel full of confidence,” Foden said. “I am really enjoying my game. Is this the most confident I have felt in my career? Probably, yes.”
Sterling and Foden are clearly different types of players and could well both start against Albania tomorrow. Yet by the time the Euros come around they may well end up competing for a place on the flanks with as many as four other England hopefuls.
To avoid becoming the centre of yet another England major tournament debate, Sterling knows he will need to start more regularly than he has done at City over the past month and quickly begin adding to his goal tally before June.
Rashford, having been denied the opportunity to reinforce himself in Southgate’s thoughts against San Marino and now unable to play any part against Albania, has also scored only nine league goals this season. He will hope a period of rest and rehabilitation can set him up well ahead of the summer.
“There are so many great talents in the attacking third playing well, so there are places up for grabs,” Foden said. “I feel a bit sorry for him [Southgate] having to pick 11.”
the lower tiers. But the experience of representing Barcelona B, Paris St-german B or Bayern Munich II cannot be compared with the journeys taken by Watkins, Conor Coady or Nick Pope.
“That played a big part in my development,” said Watkins this week of his time at Weston-supermare in the Conference South. “Playing men’s football for the first time, realising how much it meant to the people – they have mortgages to pay and kids to feed.”
There is a sense of perspective to be gained from playing in the lower leagues, but such loan moves are rare on the Continent. Between them, the 16 players who represented Spain on Thursday had not made a single lower-league loan move in their careers. Harry Kane alone has four on his CV.
Which approach is better? England’s trophy cabinet makes it hard to argue that the lower-league system is the most effective when it comes to international success. But look beyond the tournaments and it is clear to see that these individual journeys help to maintain the English game’s wider health.
Exeter secured £75,000 in addons when Watkins made his England debut, having already earned £3.3million when the striker moved from Brentford to Aston Villa. These are crucial funds for a club of Exeter’s size, and it is the ultimate proof of English football’s unique strength in depth. From there, it is of course up to Southgate to fashion a line-up capable of winning tournaments.