A thrilled and, frankly, astonished Wembley crowd did not just see twenty minutes that transformed the national mood going into the World Cup, they saw the future.
They saw Jude Bellingham, they saw Bukayo Saka, they saw Mason Mount.
That short passage of play when Gareth Southgate’s side wriggled wonderfully out of their shackles was not just a cameo that crackled with promise for Qatar 2022, it was a tantalising glimpse into the prospects beyond this winter, beyond Gareth Southgate’s tenure, even, to Euro 2024 and beyond.
