Jordan Henderson:
You'd be hard pressed to find many Jordan Henderson fans among the England faithful in Qatar. Most were appalled when he was brought into the side to face Wales in the final group fixture, believing the Liverpool captain to be a symbol of Gareth Southgate's allegedly over-conservative tactical approach. However, Henderson made an immediate impression, his mere presence allowing Jude Bellingham more freedom to do what he does best. Furthermore, while Henderson is rarely the most talented player on the pitch, he is usually the loudest, at least in an England shirt. His voice was even audible above the incessant drum beat here at the Al Bayt Stadium. The first time it was drowned out during the first half was when he slotted home the crucial opening goal to draw a colossal roar from the same fans that had been lamenting his retention in Southgate's starting line-up. It's time to give England's second-oldest goalscorer at a World Cup the respect he's been denied for far too long. As Foden said afterwards, "When someone is not doing something right on the pitch, Hendo is quick to tell you off. I don't mind that – he is a leader and a captain."
Jude Bellingham:
It's almost a shock now when Bellingham isn't brilliant; that's the ridiculous level of expectation he's now setting for himself. Indeed, there was an undeniable sense of surprise when he underwhelmed in the bore draw with the United States on matchday two. Rumours were rife that he might even be dropped or rested for the meeting with Wales. Bellingham, though, is irreplaceable. England don't have another player like him. Then again, who does? It's worth remembering that this is not normal. He's still only a teenager. And yet the kid can do it all. Mentally, he's also astounding. "I don't think we could have predicted how quickly he'd mature," Southgate admitted. "He's gone to another level in the last three months." Here, the quintessential all-action midfielder took control of a game in which England were toiling and effectively put them 2-0 up at the break by creating two goals with sensational surges forward. We're only at the last 16 stage but it would be a massive surprise if Bellingham doesn't walk away with the Young Player of the Tournament award. And, to tell the truth, if he maintains this form, he'll be in the running for the Golden Ball too.
Harry Kane:
Was Kane's goal the most significant moment of the night from an England perspective? It certainly felt like it. Kane had contributed assists during the group stage but you could see how much ending his drought in the desert meant to the struggling striker, and his team-mates. For all their attacking talent, England know if they are to have any chance of beating France in the quarter-finals, let alone winning this tournament, they need Kane confident. His emphatic finish, then, will have done wonders for the Tottenham man's self-belief. We only saw the very best of Kane in the knockout stages at Euro 2020; history could be about to repeat itself in Qatar. As Saka said afterwards, "Harry is inevitable." Once he gets going, he always takes some stopping.
Southgate's selection:
Well, he got it right again, didn't he? Sticking with Henderson paid off, but it was the decision to recall Saka that might finally convince the Southgate sceptics that he actually knows what he's doing. A return to the bench was, obviously, incredibly harsh on Marcus Rashford, who was sensational against Wales, but his demotion merely underlines the remarkable depth England have at their disposal in attacking positions. Even with Raheem Sterling having to sadly return home before the game to address a family matter, the Three Lions still had far too much firepower for Senegal. It's not easy keeping everyone happy, of course, but one has to say that Southgate is, for all of the questioning of his calls, doing a good job of getting the best out of England's enviable attacking arsenal. They're not the tournament's leading scorers by accident. The manager is clearly doing something right. Maybe it's time to cut him some slack?...
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