That’s that then. For all the speculation and column inches devoted to Gareth Southgate’s potential picks for Qatar, the headline call is that James Maddison has been selected due to his fine recent Premier League form.
But what else did we expect? We could almost have predicted every one of Southgate's final 26 players for Qatar weeks ago. Strong and stable may not be a motto that sits particularly well with the government but it’s one that suits Southgate to a tee.
Creativity doesn’t win World Cups. But an abundance of defensive options might just do and who can argue on the back of Southgate’s previous tournament performances?
