Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Conor Coady started for England last night in the penultimate warm-up match before Euro 2020.
The 28-year-old started in the heart of a four-man defence alongside Tyrone Mings against Austria, with the Three Lions running out 1-0 winners at the Riverside Stadium.
It was a good opportunity for Coady, with Harry Maguire still battling his way back to full fitness and John Stones not yet back with the national team after the Champions League final.
Despite the clean sheet for the Three Lions, it seems the media were not bowled over by Coady’s performance.
Sky Sports gave him a 5/10 rating, stating he ‘failed to convince in partnership with Mings’.
The Guardian handed him a 6, but said that Coady was ‘slightly cumbersome at times’.
The Telegraph were slightly kinder, commending his passing and giving a 6 rating.
The Daily Mail gave a 6.5 and were also fairly positive about Coady, stating that he ‘eased through this game’.
The Evening Standard awarded a 6 too, and believe Coady looks like the first change behind Maguire and Stones.
An OK night for Coady
Coady is obviously more comfortable in a back three.
But he is slowly but surely showing that he can operate in a back four.
It probably isn’t a good idea for Gareth Southgate to be throwing him in alongside Mings in a back four during the tournament.
But he could potentially do a job alongside Stones if required.