Manchester City star Jack Grealish scored the sixth goal for England as the Three Lions got off to the perfect start in the World Cup.
Gareth Southgate's side cruised to victory as goals from Arsenal star Bukayo Saka (2), Jude Bellingham, Chelsea's Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Grealish secured all three points, moving England top of Group B. Grealish replaced Sterling in the 71st minute as Southgate looked to give a number of players minutes in their opening game against Iran with the Man City star scoring just 19 minutes later.
Southgate seems to have found a good system to get the best out of his attackers whilst providing a solid defensive base for them to flourish in forward positions. The England boss will have a tough task on his hands to keep all of the talent at his disposal happy at the World Cup, but Grealish's cameo was a timely reminder of his quality.
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Substitute Callum Wilson burst forward with the ball and rather than taking aim at goal for his first World Cup goal, he cut it back for Grealish to tap home from close range to add a sixth for the Three Lions. Following his goal to complete the rout, the City star had a special celebration for one of his biggest fans after receiving a letter earlier this year.
Finlay, who plays at Manchester City for their disability football scheme, wrote a letter to his 'hero' which resulted in Grealish responding with a letter of his own, along with a signed City shirt, leading to the pair meeting up for a special occasion. During conversation in which the £100million signing congratulated Finlay on winning a tournament held at City, the young boy asked Grealish to do a special celebration, similar to that of Daniel Sturridge's wiggly arms celebration for Liverpool, when he next scored.
The City forward replicated the celebration on football's biggest stage after scoring against Iran, fulfilling his promise to Finlay in a touching moment. Grealish will now be hoping he can continue to score and play for England throughout the World Cup and help lead the Three Lions to success by lifting their first trophy since 1966.
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