Three Lions midfield is one that got away

OVER the next few months, it feels almost certain that at some stage Kobbie Mainoo is going to share the centre of a pitch with Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.

- TYRONE MARSHALL

It's a matter of time until it happens and the only question after that is for how long that triumvirate will make England's midfield their personal playground.

Mainoo feels like the missing link - metaphorically and literally between Rice and Bellingham in the Three Lions' engine room. Without wishing to pile too much pressure on an 18-year-old with just 23 firstteam appearances to his name, Mainoo should slot in perfectly into that midfield and have a long international career ahead of him.

His rise at the Reds this season has been astronomical, a feat even more impressive given the difficulties the team has endured during a season damaged by injuries and beset by on-pitch difficulties. Mainoo has risen above it to run the midfield at times, outshining Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes.

He is proving too difficult to ignore and that was proven on Tuesday when Gareth Southgate promoted him from the Under-21s to the England senior squad. After his performance against Liverpool on Sunday it was clear he was going to have to skip the age group and go straight into the squad for friendlies with Brazil and Belgium at Wembley.