Tottenham forward Dominic Solanke made his first England start against Uruguay and, in doing so, set a unique record for the Three Lions.
Tottenham Hotspur supporters will not mind the timing of the ongoing international break, given the club’s struggles this season.
Few would have expected things to unravel in this manner, considering the quality within the squad and the added motivation of a World Cup year. However, performances have fallen well below expectations, with many players failing to deliver consistently.
That said, 13 Tottenham players still received national team call-ups, a surprising number for a side currently battling relegation.
While some are involved in crucial World Cup qualifiers, others are taking part in friendlies as nations prepare for the tournament set to take place in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
One of those players is Dominic Solanke, who was included in Thomas Tuchel’s 35-man England squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan after the forward scored six goals in nine starts, despite missing a large part of the season through injury.
Dominic Solanke sets record after first England start against Uruguay
Dominic Solanke was handed his first England start against Uruguay, lining up alongside Tottenham teammate Djed Spence, who also impressed on the night.
However, it was Solanke who left with a place in the record books.
According to Opta, the striker’s first England start came eight years and 133 days after his debut appearance as a substitute against Brazil in November 2017, making it the longest gap between a player’s first appearance and first start for the Three Lions.
From the 56 minutes he featured, Solanke did not see much of the ball, registering just four touches in the opposition box.
Despite that, he still managed to get two shots on target, although neither resulted in a goal as England were held to a late 1-1 draw.
Will Dominic Solanke make England’s World Cup squad?
Even with FIFA allowing squads of up to 26 players for the World Cup, competition for places in the England squad remains extremely high.
Dominic Solanke is far from guaranteed a place, and even if he does make the squad, it would be difficult to see him getting minutes ahead of Harry Kane or Jarrod Bowen.
Danny Welbeck has also been in strong form, which further complicates Solanke’s chances of breaking into the final selection.
That said, the Tottenham striker still has an opportunity to make a late push.
If Solanke can deliver strong performances in Spurs’ final seven games of the season, he could yet give Thomas Tuchel something to think about, while also playing a key role in Tottenham’s fight to avoid relegation.