Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Winks started for England last night.
England bounced back from their shock defeat against the Czech Republic by hammering Bulgaria 6-0 amid unsavoury scenes in Sofia last night.
The Three Lions were looking for a response and certainly got it, with Marcus Rashford smashing the opener before Ross Barkley added a brace and Raheem Sterling tapped in from close range.
The first half was marred by racist chants and jeers from Bulgarian fans, with the game being stopped on numerous occasions as home supporters were warned that the game would be called off if they continued.
England chose not to walk off the pitch, and left Bulgaria embarrassed as Kane grabbed a third assist of the game by setting up Sterling’s second and England’s fifth, and Kane rounded off the win with the sixth.
England offered the perfect response both to that defeat to the Czech Republic and to those Bulgaria fans, and Gareth Southgate will have taken a lot from the victory.
He decided to make a number of changes, bringing Rashford, Barkley Tyrone Mings, Ben Chilwell and Harry Winks into his side, and the latter really caught the eye in midfield.
The Tottenham ace turned in a composed performance in the middle of the park, and really seized his chance to shine having replaced Declan Rice in Southgate’s engine room last night.
Fans have been hailing Winks on Twitter for his performance, believing he has now secured Rice’s spot in the team, and must stay in the team for the foreseeable future given how he controlled the game.
Others noted that Rice is ‘nowhere near the level’ of Winks, claiming the Tottenham ace is ’10 times the player’ Rice is, with a real battle emerging between the two London-based midfielders.
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