As Gareth Southgate did the rounds of the England players at full time on a nervy evening in Gelsenkirchen, he eventually found his way to Marc Guehi. The England manager pulled Guehi towards him and leant into his ear in pride: The performance from his centre back had more than validated Southgate’s faith as England held on to a 1-0 win over Serbia and get their Euro 2024 up and running.
There will be concern that England lost their way and showed unsettlingly similar signs of some of their previous disappointments at major tournaments under Southgate, allowing Serbia to slowly creep into the game, but Guehi’s display alongside John Stones in defence was a major positive of the evening. Without one of their Southgate stalwarts in Harry Maguire, the Crystal Palace centre back may have solved a problem position.
