“He deserves everything coming right now”, “About time” – England fans excited as 24-year-old star is named in playing XI against Italy
England will continue their preparations for the Qatar World Cup later this year as they take on European Champions Italy at Molineux.
The game will take place in front of a young crowd due to UEFA sanctions. These were imposed following the disturbances that took place before the European Championship final last year. On that occasion, the Azzurri beat Gareth Southgate's side on penalties.
The Three Lions are still seeking their first victory in this year's UEFA Nations League. They followed up their desperate 1-0 defeat to Hungary with a creditable draw against Germany in Munich.
Ahead of the clash in Wolverhampton, Southgate named his England starting XI, which included seven changes from their previous encounter.
Your #ThreeLions to take on Italy! 🏴 https://t.co/0UACsiZQxR
One name that jumped to many supporters' attention was centre-back Fikayo Tomori, who will partner Harry Maguire at the heart of the defence. The AC Milan defender has been a revelation since leaving Chelsea to join the Serie A giants, after making 40 appearances in his first full-season at the San Siro.
Many have called for Southgate to give the 24-year-old centre-half a chance in the national team. The game against that nation's team where he plys his trade will see Tomori win just his third cap.
Here are some of the best Twitter reactions to Tomori's inclusion:
I'm glad Tomori got a place on the team sheet, he deserves everything coming right now.. twitter.com/England/status…
@England @tammyabraham TOOOOOMOOOORRRRIII
@England @tammyabraham Tomori 🔥🔥🥹
Tomori starts 🥳 https://t.co/GL1UHdqVuS
About time we saw Tomori twitter.com/england/status…
6 - Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham are the fifth and sixth players to feature for England in a match against Italy while playing for an Italian club side, after Ray Wilkins, Mark Hateley, Trevor Francis and Paul Ince. Known. https://t.co/matI4rEhSa
Gareth Southgate vows "not to outstay welcome" as England manager
The Three Lions were arguably at their lowest ever point following a second-round defeat to Iceland at Euro 2016. That was before Southgate managed to help turnaround the national team's fortunes.
Our starting XI to take on England 📋
#ENGITA #NationsLeague #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro https://t.co/1qnubf7x2v
The former centre-back has guided England to a World Cup semi-final and the Euro 2020 final, but some have criticised his perceived "negative" style of play.
In a pre-match press conference, Southgate claimed (as per The Guardian):
"For the man that comes and stands on the terrace and pays his money, I totally understand he wants to see a Grealish with a Sterling with a Saka. But you’ve got to have a balance of the team, this is top-level football."
“I’ve got to manage in the way I see fit. I won’t outstay my welcome but I think I can do a good job for the team, and I think we’ve done a good job for the team. I think we’ll continue to improve the team, which we have done over a consistent period of time, and we’re also developing young players that will leave England in a good place for a long period to come.”