It was a timely reminder from Raheem Sterling. No-one should underestimate his importance to England as goalscorer, creator and leader.
Incredibly, it was Sterling’s first goal in a friendly which is a weird stat until you remember that means he saves his goals for the big occasions. It was Sterling who was England’s best player at last year’s European Championships and, amid uncertain times at Manchester City, it looks as if something special happens whenever he pulls on the Three Lions shirt.
This time Sterling wore the captain’s armband - yellow and blue in the colours of Ukraine - and he created the first goal for Ollie Watkins as England completely outclassed an Ivory Coast side reduced to 10 men. And then he scored the second himself.
Sterling has been in and out of the City side in recent weeks, but it feels like he is a player who just grows in stature when he plays for England. That is some transformation when you consider he once called himself “The Hated One” after a disappointing Euros 2016. Now, he is simply irreplaceable. And it felt as if he was probably making a point to Pep Guardiola to stop leaving him out.
When England go to Qatar in seven months’ time, it will be Sterling, Harry Kane and Declan Rice who will be the first names on the team sheet. By then, England should also be looking at drafting Jude Bellingham into the starting line-up as well because this was the night the teenager really announced himself on the international stage.
It is almost impossible to believe Bellingham is just 18, he already looks years older and if Southgate had any doubts about him before then they should have been quashed after his stunning display at Wembley. Sterling got a goal and an assist and yet Bellingham was arguably man-of-the-match as the precocious teenager just glided around the pitch.
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Southgate said in the build-up that the Bundesliga is not as competitive as the Premier League and that effectively was holding him back. Well, this felt as if Bellingham was making his point. This, after all, is the player who dominates Champions League games for Borussia Dortmund.
His turns, skill, outrageous flair and wonderful vision made him look a world beater no matter what league he plays in. One drag back before he hit the post in the first half was mesmerising.
Someone better check his passport because he cannot be that young and this good. This was England’s last friendly before the World Cup because the next six games are all in the Nations League and, frankly, it became a bit of a farce after Ivory Coast were down to 10 players.
Serge Aurier - who else? - was sent off for a second yellow card after just 40 minutes. The first was for a foul, the second for dissent as he complained about not getting a free kick but it seemed a bit over the top as it was a friendly.
It was still a decent workout for England. They took the lead after half an hour. Sterling did all the hard work down the left, beat two men then put in a low cross which Watkins gobbled up from close range. The second goal came in first half injury time.
This time Sterling’s shot was parried by Ivory Coast keeper Badra Ali Sangare, Jack Grealish got the ball back and put it on a plate for Sterling to score. After that, came a raft of changes and England had to wait until injury time for a third goal when Tyrone Mings powered home a header from a corner to round it off.
