After a comeback 3-1 win over Italy at Wembley, the first time the Three Lions have beaten the azzurri in England since 1977 when Kevin Keegan and Trevor Brooking were on the scoresheet, Gareth Southgate can rest easy after seeing his side book their place at Euro 2024.
On the night, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham was a standout for the hosts, with two-goal captain, Harry Kane, not far behind.
Let’s take a look at player ratings for those who did their country proud on Tuesday night.
Jordan Pickford 7
Was quite involved, particularly in the first half. Decent distribution and couldn’t do anything about the goal after being left exposed.
Kyle Walker 5
Not the defender’s best game for his country. Saw his pace in flashes but needed to do more on the night.
John Stones 5
Terrible marking for Italy’s goal, leaving Gianluca Scamacca wide open in the six-yard area. Taken off after tiring around the hour mark.
Harry Maguire 5
Considering his lack of opportunities at club level, the Man United defender did will without turning in a notable performance. His initial nerves were to be expected.
Kieran Trippier 5
Played out of position and found it difficult to adapt. Got a little better as the game wore on, though he’ll not want to be stationed there in Germany.
A SUBLIME solo effort from Harry Kane surely seals @England's spot in Germany ?#C4Football | #ENGITA | #EURO2024 | #MutualRespect @AskNationwide pic.twitter.com/n7190V2pbV
— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) October 17, 2023
Kalvin Phillips 4
An experiment that didn’t work. If Phillips wanted to take advantage of injuries to others in order to give Southgate some food for thought, he failed. Lucky not to be sent off.
Declan Rice 5
His partnership with Phillips on the night wasn’t great. Often caught out of position or in possession, it wasn’t his best game in an England shirt.
Marcus Rashford 6
A brilliant finish for his goal, though the confidence he clearly felt in opening his account saw him take on other chances thereafter when colleagues were better placed. A quiet night for the most part.