HE'S OUR KOBBIE DAZZLER

Mainoo at heart of Lions' thrilling present and future

- ANDY DUNN in Dortmund

NOT unusually, an English player was squeezed by orange, surrounded by Dutch opponents.

But this was no ordinary English player, this was the youngest to appear in the semifinals of a major tournament.

This was Kobbie Mainoo. And he simply shimmied, feinted one way and then the other before slipping a delicious short pass into Phil Foden, whose shot was trapped on the line by Denzel Dumfries.

That was midway through a first half that was characterised by Bukayo Saka – arguably England’s player of the tournament – tormenting the Dutch defence.

Mainoo is 19, Saka 22, Foden 24. Oh and then there is 21-year-old Jude Bellingham.

Clearly, there are more immediate ramifications of this contest, but when Gareth Southgate has passed on the managerial baton, his successor will have a core of young players that would be envied by any other international coach.

Against the orange, Mainoo showed the English future is bright.