PHIL YER BOOTS
Foden strikes twice after best pals Rice and Mount put young Lions on their way
RED RAW It’s an early night for Birkir Seavarsson who gets a second yellow
THE goal celebration told its own story.
D Declan Rice was the first to co congratulate best pal Mason M Mount as they came t together to usher in England’s new generation at Wembley.
Rice had got his first England goal to open the scoring, he looked just as h happy when Mount got E England’s second – and the pa pair of them have really pus pushed their way right to the fron front of Gareth Southgate’s plans.
West Ham midfielder Rice has been quietly establishing himself in the past 18 months but now Mount looks equally at home at this level.
Jack Grealish and Phil Foden caught the eye, scored two late goals and, for all the talk of this international break being an unwelcome distraction, do not say that to these lads.
Grealish has started all three games, Foden is blessed with such natural talent and the Rice-Mount double act has a wonderful understanding from being best friends from childhood.
It was a mix-and-match England team up against the group whipping boys of Iceland who are without a point and look a million miles from the team which cost Roy Hodgson his job at Euro 2016.
Iceland were very poor and got even worse when Birkir Sævarsson was sent off after 54 minutes for a second yellow card, both for fouls on Bukayo Saka who gave him a torrid night.
So it would be daft to get too carried away but the underlying point stands that there is a new group emerging, players seizing their opportunity and pushing their claims ahead of next summer’s Euros.
Foden, Grealish and Mount are England’s future.
Grealish is the headline-grabbing star and yet Mount was excellent again and the teacher’s pet nickname is grossly unfair.
Mount is there in his own right, equally effective as part of a front three or this time in a more central role so he can break forward and join
attacks. There was Grealish darting in and out of space in midfield, Foden buzzed around as he glided across the pitch while his close control, vision and forward runs made him stand out. Saka also looked lively on the left, the Arsenal teenager looks a very good option as left wing-back and this team is quiet ly evolving whi l e showing the value of these games.
England’s hopes of winning the Nations League ended with defeat in Belgium on Sunday but they still looked focused even with their clubs nervously looking on, hoping no-one would get injured. The first goal came after 20 minutes after Grealish won a free kick just outside the box. Foden floated a wonderful, inviting free kick and the ball glanced in off Rice’s shoulder as the midfielder went to head it.
Saka had a great chance to make it two but was denied by a smart save by keeper Ogmundur Kristinsson.
But England did not have to wait much longer.
Mount drove England forward, Saka put over a cross which Iceland failed to clear and there was Mount again to pick up the loose ball and then almost slalom his way through with a lovely drop of the shoulder before firing a low shot into to the net. Foden went close twice e but was denied both times by Kristinsson stinsson while Harry Kane shot on sight all night, desperate to end nd a run of six games without ta a goal which is a drought by y his standards.
But eventually, Foden got the goal his performance deserved after 80 minutes.
Brought back in from the cold after being sent home from Iceland in n disgrace, he swept home e his first goal for England nd after nice work by Saka and Jadon Sancho. Foden’s second cond came four minutes later when hen he drove forward and then unleashed nleashed a low shot into the bottom mcorner. corner.
BIG HAND Southgate was well pleased with his side last night