WATKINS PASSES HIS ENGLAND AUDITION

GARETH SOUTHGATE rose from his seat in the directors’ box and shoved a notepad into his pocket. It had been a busy night and the page on which England’s manager had been scribbling was almost out of space. Southgate has been a frequent visitor to Goodison Park in recent months but it is doubtful he has ever left with as much information to digest as he did on this occasion. Everywhere he looked, there was something to consider as he makes his European Championship plans. He would have received clarity on the form of Jordan Pickford, for starters. When Southgate watched Everton play Leicester in January, the mistake Pickford made that night suggested he had a battle on his hands to begin the tournament. Now all doubt has been removed. Pickford’s brilliance kept Everton in this contest far longer than their impoverished efforts deserved and only an injury will stop him lining up against Croatia on June 13. Other players will have had their names jotted down, such as Villa’s energetic full backs Matty Cash and Matt Targett, and it was intriguing to see Ross Barkley perform with dash. The men who commanded most attention were the strikers. Ollie Watkins (right) was fabulous for Villa, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin showed great determination. Watkins was the inspiration for Villa’s win and deserved more than one goal. ‘He is one of the best pressing centre forwards in the Premier League,’ enthused boss Dean Smith. ‘But he backs that up with goals and his build-up play has got better. He’s a lad who used to beat himself up if he missed chances but he gets over that a lot