Fearless Loftus-Cheek set for England chance at World Cup
REPINO, Russia — The English national team’s underappreciation of flair players goes back years, with Matt Le Tissier and Glenn Hoddle among those failing to win the number of appearances their talent deserved.
It is why the likely selection of Ruben Loftus-Cheek for the World Cup group game against Panama on Sunday should thrill England fans who are slowly getting back onside with the team under forward-thinking coach Gareth Southgate.
Loftus-Cheek is a tall, powerfully-built 22-yearold central midfielder who plays with a nonchalance and panache seemingly straight from the school yard.
Take his England debut, against Germany at Wembley Stadium in November. One of his first touches was a backheel through the legs of Leroy Sane, followed moments later by another “nutmeg” of a second German player, Marcel Halstenberg.
He relished being center stage, demanding passes even though opponents were right on his back — just like when he was a kid and he played with friends in small, caged pitches that helped improve his footwork and control in tight spaces. It was a fearless and composed performance to get excited about, and he was picked as the man of the match.
Now, he finds himself at the World Cup as one of a slew of bold squad selections from Southgate, who is intent on going with youth as he looks to return England to the international game’s top table.
And having impressed after coming on as a substitute in England’s 2-1 win over Tunisia on Monday, Loftus-Cheek is set to start against Panama in place of Dele Alli, who has a thigh injury and missed training Thursday. “He showed when he came on the other day that he can change the game,” England teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold said Thursday.
“He is an asset to any team he plays in with his physicality and the way he can play in the midfield is rare for such a big lad. He’s a top-quality player.”
Loftus-Cheek has long been spoken of as a future star of English soccer, but he has never quite established himself at Chelsea, which — despite having a consistently successful youth team — has a recent history of buying top talent from home and abroad in its quest for trophies under Russian owner Roman Abramovich.