Gareth Southgate might have finally found his replacement for Kalvin Phillips

FROM SIGNAL IDUNA PARK – Delirium in Dortmund about sums it up. Ollie Watkins’ sensational winner on the cusp of injury time has fired England into a second consecutive European Championship final.

A 2-1 win over the Netherlands sends England to Berlin to play hands down the best team at Euro 2024, Spain. They’ve already dispatched of hosts Germany and favourites France in the knockout rounds, and dominated current holders Italy in the group stages. England have their biggest task ahead of them but a newly-developed knack of getting the job done. You never know.

Gareth Southgate has plenty to celebrate. But these moments are fleeting – the England manager has spent most of the last month having to bat away criticism for poor performances, while carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations on his shoulders. The usual thing for someone in his position at a major tournament, y’know, and far more in keeping than this ‘making finals’ stuff.

It feels an era ago today, but just a few short weeks ago Southgate was showing signs of crumbling under the pressure. He turned up to discuss his team’s performance in a 1-1 draw against Denmark – a game in which England were largely outplayed – and ended up speaking about his midfield conundrum.

“We know it’s an experiment. We know we don’t have a natural replacement for Kalvin Phillips,” Southgate said, to national rage and desperation. The clip below sums up the situation nicely.

Southgate started the tournament with Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold taking the third spot in central midfield, alongside shoo-ins Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham. The balance was off and he rotated through Conor Gallagher, who shuffled around a bit. Both very good players in their own right, but clearly not what Southgate was seeking for his midfield to control big moments in big games, like they’re doing now.

With Southgate in auto-pilot while dropping the “natural replacement for Phillips” line, perhaps scared to act and put his faith in a 19-year-old kid sitting on his bench, the case soon became that if he didn’t, his spell in charge of his country, a largely successful one without the riveting football or trophies to show for it (to date, Sunday is England’s biggest moment) would slip through his fingers.

But that 19-year-old kid we’re talking about? That’s no ordinary 19-year-old kid.

That’s Kobbie Mainoo.

Perhaps Southgate was right, though. Mainoo is not a natural replacement for Phillips. He’s so much more.

And Manchester…