Harry Maguire took centre stage when England announced their line-up for the World Cup opener with Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium, but after 90-plus minutes were up Manchester United had been handed the blueprint that they needed to rejuvenate their £80million captain.
Despite slipping behind Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof in the defensive pecking order since Erik ten Hag was appointed as manager at Old Trafford in the summer, Maguire was backed by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate. He not only made their 26-man squad, but was also named in the starting XI on Monday afternoon to face Iran in their opening encounter in Group B.
Given his domestic struggles - or at least lack of game-time - it was one selection that raised eyebrows pre-match, but Maguire went on to completely justify that selection. He struck the crossbar with a header and also provided an assist for Bukayo Saka as England stormed to a 6-2 victory in their eye-catching Group B opener.
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Maguire, 29, was forced off in the final stages and has since cleared up that worrying substitution. If he continues to perform on-field, meanwhile, the centre-back might well prove Jamie Carragher wrong and use this tournament as a springboard for his Old Trafford career - which Carragher previously said he reckons is over.
Writing about Maguire in his Daily Telegraph column earlier this season, the Liverpool hero said: "I think it is too late at club level. I wrote last year he was fighting for his Manchester United career.
"He needs this to be his final season at Old Trafford and start afresh. Now it is England's problem.
"When I watched Maguire in the last two [England] games [in September], I felt sorry for him. But that is not a good look for any sportsperson. Sympathy will not get him back where he was two years ago."
Sympathy might not have been needed but, as Alan Shearer pointed out in his pre-match analysis for the Iran game on BBC Sport, confidence was. Southgate has, seemingly, given him that and between them those two have offered Ten Hag a plan to follow back at Old Trafford.
Shearer added: "I can't tell you how much that did to me [being backed for England by Terry Venables].
"I hadn't scored for England in two years, but I was scoring for Blackburn. The number of players that were putting me under pressure; Wright, Cole, Ferdinand, Sheringham, Fowler, all of these guys so it would've been easier for the manager [to drop him for Euro 1996].
"But he pulled me to one side and said; 'You will be my number one centre-forward. You will start that first game'.
"I looked at Terry and said; 'Wow, I can't let you down and I owe you'. It will be similar for Harry for him to be named in that team, he would've looked at the manager and said; 'Thank you, I owe you'."
United fans will be hoping it is the confidence boost Maguire needs to get his United career back on track.
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