Gareth Southgate has praised Raheem Sterling for turning into the prolific goalscorer who has more than justified his backing for him.
Sterling only scored twice in his first 45 caps for his country but has 16 goals in his last 24 internationals, including three in Euro 2020, when he was England’s outstanding forward, and the opener in last week’s 4-0 win over Hungary.
England now face Poland, with Southgate guarding against complacency and urging his side to take a giant stride towards the 2022 World Cup, but looking towards Sterling to produce another defining display.
“He is a top player and he has got the hunger, not only to play well and perform well for the team but to score goals," Southgate said. "That progression in the last couple of years has added so much.
"I can’t speak highly enough of how he has been with us, in the last three years in particular. We have always had faith in him but that has been easy in the last few years because of the numbers he has hit.”
Jordan Pickford is another Southgate has backed, despite some mixed form for Everton in recent years, and the goalkeeper only conceded twice in Euro 2020, neither from open play. The England manager believes Pickford is benefiting from a calmer attitude.
“We have always had belief in his abilities as a goalkeeper,” he said. “That has been questioned externally but never internally and his performances have always warranted that faith.
"There is the goalkeeping ability of keeping the ball out of the net and then there is his ability with his feet which is so important in the modern game. He has got a fantastic range of passing and the way we want to play, that is very, very important.
"In the last six months, his calmness in the matches has been a real standout and a progression. It has been an area he has paid attention to and he has certainly seen the rewards of that in his performances.”
England have won all five qualifiers and victory on Wednesday night would give them at least a six-point lead at the summit of Group I.
“We are in a good moment but those moments can be dangerous,” Southgate said. “Because if we get any sense of complacency then we are going to a game where we will be really challenged.
"This is a big opportunity for us, we can take a positive step towards the World Cup if we win in Warsaw so it is a high level of motivation but also guarding against any feeling that we are better than we are. We are having a good run of results because we are working hard for each other.”
England required an 85th-minute winner by Harry Maguire to beat Poland at Wembley in March, when they were without their record scorer Robert Lewandowski, who is fit for the rematch and has scored 10 goals in six matches this season.
“Any team is going to miss a player of that calibre and we will prepare some specifics for Lewandowski,” Southgate said. “But also we know they have other strong players. They gave us a really tough game at Wembley and pushed us right to the end.”
Southgate also has to cope with the consequences of another prolific scorer, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Manchester United potentially coming at a cost to Mason Greenwood or Marcus Rashford, if either or both is benched.
“That is for Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] to decide,” Southgate said. “At every club, we have to pick up from those selections and how that affects fitness and form and everything else so it is not an unusual situation for us.”
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
Company%20Profile
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WTL%20SCHEDULE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Profile Box
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif
Based: Manama, Bahrain
Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation
Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($100,000)
Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Mountain%20Boy
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
