TONEY JUST THE TICKET

Ivan's display can earn him a place in Germany

- JEREMY CROSS

GARETH SOUTHGATE wasn’t left singing in the rain – despite escaping back-to-back defeats at Wembley. 

But he was left singing the praises of Ivan Toney, who appears to be a safe bet to be on the England plane to Euro 2024.

Southgate saw his Three Lions need a last-gasp equaliser from Jude Bellingham to avoid successive defeats.

But on a miserable and wet night in London, it wasn’t the damp squib some people will claim.

Toney scored his first international goal on his first start and was a handful for the Belgium defence.

While the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Jarrod Bowen and Joe Gomez staked their own impressive claims to be part of Southgate’s final squad for the trip to Germany this summer.

Lewis Dunk, on the other hand, might want to start browsing through the holiday brochures following a first-half mistake to forget.

The case for England’s defence isn’t as watertight as it should be.

It’s been a difficult get-together for Southgate. He had to shuffle his pack due to crippling injuries and made five changes to the side which lost to Brazil.