Tottenham Stars Past and Present Impress for England
By Ryan Wrenn
Even with Harry Kane and Danny Rose absent through injury, England was always going to enjoy some benefit from a Tottenham name.
Tottenham regular starters Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Kyle Walker played the full 90 minutes of England’s 2-0 win over Lithuania on Sunday. The result leaves the Three Lions undefeated in the World Cup 2018 qualifiers.
Walker and Alli played in predictable positions. Though he’s thrived mostly at wing-back for Tottenham, Walker remains perhaps the best right-back in the Premier League. He proved that again here, regularly finding space against a side content to cede it to him. His efforts along his flank led to two shots created and a lot of tired Lithuanian legs.
As he typically does when fielded with Kane, Dele slotted through the center of the attacking midfield trio. Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling both came away with the assists for both of England’s goals, but Dele’s work cannot be sold short.
Just like he does virtually every week with Spurs, the 20-year-old seamlessly combines the influence and creativity of a playmaker and the direct threat of a striker. That dual role, as ever, made him a difficult mark. It’s hardly a surprise that his six shots were the most taken by any England player.
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The one exception here was Dier. Though he’s effectively lost his hold on defensive midfield thanks to the arrival of Victor Wanyama at Spurs, he remains England’s best option in that position. As anyone who witnessed his 2015/16 season could tell you, he’s remarkably adept in the position. Like Dele, he is able to combine two positions — centre-back and midfielder — into one vitally important focal point.
Far and away the most important of Spurs’ contributions on the day however came from a player who doesn’t currently play for the club.
It had been four years since Jermain Defoe last earned an England call up, despite having scored in seven of his previous eight appearances for the national team.
The intervening years haven’t exactly been full of glory. He was dropped to the bench at Tottenham after two stints with the club. His unique skills didn’t exactly fit in with André Villas-Boas, Tim Sherwood or Mauricio Pochettino. Though he still scored goals, they mostly came against tired defenses after he was brought onto the pitch from the bench. At 30 years old, effective retirement to the United States suddenly seemed more appealing.
His stint at Major League Soccer and Toronto was successful — 11 goals in 17 starts — but he remained unhappy. With hopes of perhaps one day playing for England again, he decided on a return to the Premier League. Perennial relegation battlers Sunderland welcomed him with open arms.
Defoe returned their kindness in short order. In his two full seasons with the club, he’s scored 29 goals — leading the team in both. When Kane went down injured and Jamie Vardy hardly in his best form — though he did score England’s second off the bench — Defoe was the natural backup call.
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Gareth Southgate’s gamble paid off with Defoe on Sunday, though it remains to be seen if he sticks on with the squad until next summer’s World Cup in Russia. Kane will return to fitness, as will Daniel Sturridge. Vardy is still a potent player, and Marcus Rashford is promising in his own right. Still, it was hard for Spurs fans not to feel pride in their erstwhile finisher.