‘Shouldn’t forget’: Tony Adams keen for Arsenal player not to go under the radar at the World Cup

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Tony Adams says Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka can still have a huge impact for England at the World Cup.

Saka was the man of the moment after England’s opening game of the tournament, when he got the nod over Phil Foden and scored twice against Iran.

Then, he struggled in the 0-0 draw with the United States, after which the clamour to play Foden grew from pundits and fans.

Foden and Marcus Rashford got their first starts of the tournament against Wales and both found the net, with many now calling for them to keep their place against Senegal tomorrow.

Adams on Saka

He told the Sun: “While we did well against Wales, we shouldn’t forget the lads who started against Iran. Where England are concerned, it seems those on the bench suddenly become better players than before kick-off if the team is struggling a bit.

“We shouldn’t turn away from the players who have done it in the past. Gareth Southgate picked the side for Iran for a reason — he believed in a trusted group to get off to a good start.

“Players like Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount should not be forgotten. I’ve still got one eye on the French in the quarter-finals and working out who is the best for that game.

“Is it Phil Foden, or Saka or Rashford? Or two from three? The great thing is we’ve got options and our A and B team are pretty much the same. We’ve got too much for Senegal, whoever plays.”

Adams is right in the sense that a player can go from being the main man in one game to two games later, benched because someone else has played and scored.

Gareth Southgate has managed his wide options expertly in Qatar, and in some ways, he cannot get this one wrong.

He can start two in-form widemen, knowing that he has three to come off the bench if the game is not going well.

It remains to be seen where Saka fits into that but it seems almost certain he will have a big part to play.