Gareth Southgate has been required to find the right words at the right time an awful lot recently. An hour before kick-off in Leuven, he did it again.
‘We’re looking forward to seeing him play,’ England’s manager said, as he discussed the prospect of Jack Grealish’s first competitive appearance. ‘It’s good to see him against top level opponents. We are confident he can play well. We want him to do what he’s doing at his club.’
It was good to hear Southgate speaking with enthusiasm about the Aston Villa midfielder. Grealish has been a recurring theme over the course of three international camps and mention of his name has not always been greeted with warmth.