RAHEEM STERLING should have been England’s captain when he scored their late winner in Reykjavik on Saturday.
When Harry Kane was substituted, he blundered by handing the armband to Eric Dier instead of the Manchester City wideman.
Raheem Sterling scored the winner for England against IcelandCredit: Rex Features
Raheem Sterling celebrates after scoring from the spot in the Nations LeagueCredit: AP:Associated Press
But it did not matter. Everyone could see that Sterling was leading Gareth Southgate’s ten men as they laboured towards victory.
And with Kane looking leggy and rusty in Iceland, there is every chance Sterling will skipper his country against Denmark in Copenhagen tomorrow night.
After Southgate was let down by one experienced City player in Kyle Walker, he saw Sterling take the responsibility by taking the fight to Iceland and then stepping up to take the 91st-minute spot-kick which earned the most unconvincing of victories.
As the manager says, Sterling could easily have stayed in Jamaica, where he had been partying with Usain Bolt, having finished City’s Champions League campaign just three weeks ago.
Yet he flew home in time to beat quarantine rules and make himself available for this Nations League opener.
And Southgate said: “I can’t speak highly enough of him. It would have been very easy to have another few days on the beach, not report in, get himself right for his club at the beginning of the season.
“His mentality the whole week has been exceptional. He’s desperate to be here, desperate to play, desperate to stay on.
“I thought he carried the fight when we went down to ten men, he took the responsibility of the penalty.
“I thought he showed outstanding character throughout. His desire to succeed is exceptional. He’s just been relentless. His hunger to score, his hunger to win things, his hunger to drive himself, you really can’t underestimate it.
“It has a massive impact on everybody around him and has taken his game to another level.”
When England last played Iceland, in their Euro 2016 humiliation, Sterling was struggling to establish himself at international level and copped a vast amount of flak, much of it over the top.
Yet still aged only 25, Sterling is a match-winner and an inspirational senior pro for both club and country — a former Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year, with 57 caps and 11 goals in his last 12 England appearances.
Asked whether Sterling should have taken the armband when Kane was replaced by Mason Greenwood in the 78th minute, Southgate admitted: “Yeah, he should. That was just in the midst of coming off the pitch.
“But I hadn’t seen it, I was busy getting instructions to try to reshape the team at the time but, yes.”
England skipper Harry Kane was subbed against Iceland and may not start against DenmarkCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Kane has had a limited training schedule according to Gareth SouthgateCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Southgate admits it will be tough for Kane to start against Denmark and also believes that players from the Manchester sides, who played competitive football more recently for their clubs, were fresher than the rest of the England squad.
So there is every chance Sterling will captain the side for the second time tomorrow — after doing so against Holland in last summer’s Nations League semi-final, when Kane was rested.
Southgate added: “I think the most important thing will be to assess what gives us the freshness but keeps enough experience, to keep the balance of the team right. Energy will be key.
“The decision when we were down to ten, we needed the energy and the legs to press from the front and Harry’s had such a limited training schedule we were going to be asking too much of him to continue to press, hold the ball up and be the goal threat.
“We felt the three quick forwards, with Raheem, Danny Ings and Mason Greenwood, was the best way to see the game out.”
England’s attacking rustiness was forgivable, with Jadon Sancho disappointing — although Southgate is adamant the Borussia Dortmund forward is coping well with the speculation over a possible £100million transfer to Manchester United.
Kyle Walker was sent off after picking up two bookingsCredit: AP:Associated Press
Joe Gomez gave away a late penalty but Iceland failed to equaliseCredit: Reuters
But what was far less forgivable for the England boss was Walker’s sending off for a reckless challenge when he was on a yellow card, as well as Joe Gomez gifting Iceland an injury-time penalty, which was skied by Birkir Bjarnason.
No wonder England’s coaching staff were so concerned about their lack of central-defensive depth that there was serious debate about recalling Harry Maguire after he appealed against his convictions in a Greek court.
Yet one positive was that England had won without a Kane goal for just the third time under Southgate — and the Three Lions chief says his team are no longer so reliant on the Tottenham centre-forward.
He said: “Harry is a supreme goalscorer and is critical to the way we play.
“Equally, we have some other tremendous threats, with Raheem in particular.
“There’s Jadon, Mason Greenwood coming through, Marcus Rashford at home, Phil Foden, who I thought had a really good debut in really difficult circumstances and Mason Mount will score goals as well.
“The nice thing is we won’t be leaning just on Harry. Goals can come from elsewhere.”
England manager Gareth Southgate says every precaution is being taken to prevent coronavirus after Raheem Sterling case
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
