The Liverpool man showed he should be the Three Lions top choice at right-back from now on with a superb showing at Wembley
Harry Kane might have shown that rumours of his demise have been greatly exaggerated, but there was still a big sense of renewal as England beat Finland 2-0 in Lee Carsley's dugout debut at Wembley.
Kane celebrated his 100th cap by scoring both goals to extend England's 100 percent start to their Nations League B campaign in what was a perfect response to the captain's hugely disappointing showing at the European Championship.
But the players who were largely ignored by Gareth Southgate over the summer who took their chance to shine and proved they should be a big part of England's plans at the 2026 World Cup.
Trent Alexander-Arnold looked just like the world-beater he is for his club while his fellow Liverpudlian Anthony Gordon was a revelation down the left flank and made a mockery of the fact that he was used so little by Southgate in Germany. And Angel Gomes, who was never included in a squad by Southgate, showed he can be the solution to England's decades-long problem of failing to control midfield.
This wasn't just a night for the Kane family to celebrate. This was another sign that England could achieve great things under Carsley. But the absent players who missed these fixtures due to injuries might not be so pleased, as they will have their work cut out trying to reclaim their place in an England team that is really clicking.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Wembley…
Getty ImagesWINNER: Harry Kane
Kane received a golden cap from Frank Lampard before kick-off and was wearing golden boots for his 100th international appearance. He certainly rose to the occasion, grabbing his 67th and 68th goals for his country and winning the match in the process.
The captain received plenty of criticism during the Euros and a lot of it was justified – he was lacking sharpness, he rarely got in good shooting positions and his lack of movement weighed the team down. He looked a completely different player here, however, and looked intent on scoring from the off.
Kane had to wait for his big moment, though, after having a goal narrowly ruled out for offside and seeing several shots blocked. But he did not get frustrated, only getting more determined to fire England ahead. He took no prisoners with his breakthrough goal, lashing the ball past the excellent Finish 'keeper Lukas Hradecky.
There was huge relief on his face and, with the burden lifted, he scored again. Kane was given a fitting standing ovation when he was taken off, as the wounds from the Euros are slowly healing, and Kane showed he has plenty more to offer his country.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Teemu Pukki
The Finland striker had very happy memories of playing in England, scoring 87 times for Norwich City, including 22 times in the Premier League. This was not a happy occasion for Pukki, though.
He failed to trouble England's defence and he was taken off after just 45 minutes, though he would have had two clear openings had his fellow attacker Topi Keskinen not made some awful decisions in the final third.
Pukki was unmarked and in the perfect position when Keskinen burst through on a quick breakaway, but the Aberdeen winger wanted the glory for himself and blazed over the bar when Pukki was screaming for the ball.
Now plying his trade for Minnesota United in MLS, Pukki found himself in another good position later in the first half when Keskinen attacked down the middle, but he again ignored him, instead bungling a harder pass to Rasmus Schuller.
Getty ImagesWINNER: England's Scousers
Alexander-Arnold and Gordon played a combined total of 135 minutes at the Euros, but after being ignored by Gareth Southgate, they look set for crucial roles in Carsley's new-look England and must be praying that he gets the job full-time.
Alexander-Arnold had shown bright moments against Ireland on Saturday, but his passing had let him down in the second half. Here, though, he upped his game and his balls carved through Finland. He created five chances, more than anyone else, and was partly responsible for both goals, directly assisting Kane for the first then playing a defence-splitting curling pass towards Noni Madueke before it found its way to Kane.
Even though he has found his true place in the team under Carsley, Alexander-Arnold's creative burst for England is nothing new: this was the third occasion in which he had created five or more chances in a game for the Three Lions, with no one else having done that for the national team since his debut.
The Liverpool defender offered a deadly threat from the right and his fellow Scouser Gordon was equally threatening off the left. The left wing was the area England struggled with the most during the Euros and if Southgate's refusal to give more than one minute's action to Gordon was hard to understand at the time, it is even more bewildering after seeing what he can do in an England shirt.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Angel Gomes
Remember when Southgate lamented the fact that England had never found a successor to Kalvin Phillips? Turns out they had, in the form of Angel Gomes.
Gomes was a crucial part of the England Under-21 side which won the Euros under Carsley in 2023, and although this was his full international debut, he looked utterly at home at Wembley. The Lille midfielder struck up an instant understanding with Declan Rice and barely put a foot wrong all evening, ensuring England controlled possession and dictated the pace of the game.
Gomes' progress since leaving Manchester United had gone almost unnoticed back home, but now all England fans are aware of him and what he can offer. Once more he showed that the Red Devils were wrong to not give him more opportunities, and it looks like he will get plenty more chances to do so.