Gareth Southgate gamble pays off as England beat Italy

Kalvin Phillips’ selection after so much time on the sidelines for Manchester City had most England fans scratching their heads. Instead, it should have got them excited. Goodness knows Gareth Southgate does not make bold statements of intent. But often his message can be picked out from among the detail and nuance of his decision-making.

And in picking somebody who has played just five brief substitute cameos in the Premier League all season, he laid down a marker that finally this is his team and nobody else’s.

After at least one too many tournaments worrying too much about what the opposition bring to the table, Euro 2024 will be different.

England are going to try to win it the Southgate Way.

And if Jack Grealish had not missed that sitter on the stroke of half-time, we’d all fancy be fancying the Three Lions chances.

If exciting, confident, front-foot football is the result of making a place for Phillips in the team, then so be it. This, after all, was a defining early test.

Mateo Verratti, Jorginho and Domenico Berardi are perceived as being as good as it gets in terms of European “engines”.

Still, Southgate believed that with Phillips’ help he could get them chugging into reverse.

Jude Bellingham would supply the sparkle, Declan Rice the class – but Southgate believes that Phillips fills a role that nobody else born in England can quite manage.

It is the thankless task of knowing when to trail Verratti around like a faithful dog – more of a Yorkshire terrier than a Yorkshire Pirlo.

But then he needs to have the sense to judge when it is the right time to scamper free and cause mischief elsewhere.

After so much of his City career spent just sat on the bench, his nose could be excused for being slightly out.

His first two touches went to blue shirts and the first time he tried to strong-arm the ball out of defence it was Verratti who stopped him uncompromisingly in his tracks.

Then in the 12th minute, it was his encouraging ball for Bellingham to drive forward which led to the corner from which England opened the scoring.

They don’t give plaudits for an assist to the assist to the assist, which is perhaps why Phillips seems so underappreciated. It was that kind of contribution, though.

Leaving Verratti to hunt down Francesco Acerbi in the 20th minute to turn over possession in a move that ended with Bellingham just inches away from sliding in England’s second.

That is the sort of thing that boosts his stock with Southgate.

Phillips is the reason why a manager who likes to show his working and make all his equations balance feels he can put out a side against the European Champions that contains Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka and Bellingham.

As he showed with his own drive just wide of the post in the 32nd minute, Phillips really is not the man to dominate a highlights reel.

Then when Italy pulled one back early in the second half, his worth really began to grow.

His energy stood out as England began to look leggy and gave Southgate the confidence to bring on Phil Foden rather than a more defensive player while at the same time switching to a back three.

Although when Serbian referee Srdjan Jovanovic put the mockers on that with the sending off of Luke Shaw, it meant a win that had at first looked comfortable had to be fought for every step.

Phillips has always been capable of taking more of those steps than most.

Sure enough, he saw them home. Southgate has to have more belief than ever that this time the road might just go all the way.