Bukayo Saka has forced his way into the conversation about England’s starting XI to face Croatia in the Euro 2020 opener.
In the absence of Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden and Mason Mount, Saka seized his opportunity by scoring the winner in the 1-0 victory over Austria on Wednesday night.
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It capped off a terrific individual performance, which stood out in a rather tepid display from the Three Lions.
And reacting to the match on talkSPORT, former Premier League stars Jamie O’Hara and Gabby Agbonlahor suggested the Arsenal teenager could take Sterling or Rashford’s place on the wing this summer.
“Saka could force himself into the England side, he offers something different,” ex-Aston Villa forward Agbonlahor said.
“He gets the ball and he goes past players on the outside.
AFP
“Players like Rashford and Sterling have to be careful because he’s there to try and take their place.”
And O’Hara agreed. The ex-Tottenham midfielder said: “The two best performances on the pitch were Jack Grealish and Saka.
“Saka was impressive, he could be a real weapon for England.”
Meanwhile, England manager Gareth Southgate was full of praise for the 19-year-old, whose performance came as no surprise given a superb season with Arsenal.
AFP
The Three Lions boss told talkSPORT: “I thought he had a very good game. Right from the start, he was combining well in between the lines.
“He plays with a real maturity and confidence. He’s impressed us ever since he joined up.
“He played in a team at a big club in a difficult season and showed a real consistency – and he showed that tonight.”
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