Liverpool legend-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher believes Ross Barkley has better attributes than Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard in terms of raw ability and he could become the face of England’s midfield in the forthcoming years. The former Evertonian had a tough 2017/18 season where he struggled regularly with a hamstring problem but he has managed to come through it this term with consistent performances in the Blues shirt.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Carragher said: “This lad has got to become mentally stronger, but in terms of ability, you think of the players who played in that position in the World Cup - Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard - and maybe you could argue they are better mentally but they are not better ability wise. If he becomes better mentally - as you would expect playing for a big team and achieving big things - I think he could become a must for the England team.”

England will be quite hopeful about taking something out of the game against Spain when they make the trip to Seville on Monday. Gareth Southgate’s men have been able to get just a solitary point from the first two group matches. After an opening defeat against Spain, England were only able to manage a goalless draw with Croatia in the second group match. As a result, England have been placed as the outsiders for a victory at the Benito Villamarin. The Three Lions are without a victory in four competitive games and they are placed at 19/4 for a victory in this match.

Meanwhile, Spain have been flying high under the regime of Luis Enrique and they have been able to score an incredible 10 goals in the last two matches. They have also conceded just one goal since making the trip to Wembley. As a result, Spain are overwhelming favourites to win the game and they are priced at just 4/6. Even though the price may not sound attractive, the draw is a good option for the meeting between these two teams as both have a strong set of players. Jordan Henderson and John Stones will be the players unavailable for the game. A draw is an attractive price had 3/1 to win the match.

England international Harry Kane has stressed that he cannot be compared with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have achieved plenty of success over the past decade. Kane has been one of the Premier League’s most fearsome strikers over the past four seasons and he managed to take the same form into the recent World Cup where he was handed the Golden Boot for the most goals scored during the tournament.

Speaking at a news conference, Kane said that he wants to continue improving with his game but he is still far off from reaching the heights of Messi and Ronaldo, he said: “I think it's hard to compare myself with them two. Those two have set a standard of football over the past 10 years that has been unbelievable.Those are the heights we all want to reach. To finish top goalscorer in a World Cup was something I am extremely proud of.I don't think I can be up there with those two but I aim to improve.”

Prior to his goal against Fulham, the Spurs man had failed to score in over 1,000 minutes of top-flight football in August. With that run now over, a huge weight has been lifted and Kane may benefit directly from that lack of pressure. Lucas Moura has stepped up to the plate in the absence of Heung-Min Son and Mauricio Pochettino will be very happy with his team at this moment in time.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has done it: his barren run without a top-flight goal in August is over.

It would be fair to say that one of the best feelings as a punter comes from when you open your account, only to find a free bet ready to be used on any available betting market.

This is something that bookmakers like Bet365 are clearly aware of, as they provide several useful ways to clinch your own free bet, which can then be used within a given time-period on any of the many markets on their website and mobile app.

Chelsea captain Gary Cahill has decided to step back from England duty for the time being in order to concentrate on his club career. The centre-back was included in the Three Lions squad for the summer World Cup but he managed just one appearance for them during the group stage game versus Belgium which had no meaning.

Since returning to club duty, there have been suggestions that Cahill could be excluded from future squads with England with regular Premier League football but the 32-year-old has now taken the advance decision of stepping down with honour, he told Chelsea TV: “In terms of my international future, I think it is time I take a step back and now I feel that is the right moment. I have been hugely honoured to have played for my country and I would never shut the door if I was needed in the future. I had a good chat with the manager and he could see where I was coming from.”

Former Chelsea midfielder Vinnie Jones has aimed another dig at Raheem Sterling claiming that the Englishman only looks better with top-class players around him. Sterling had gone to the summer World Cup after scoring 23 goals for Manchester City during their title-winning season but he failed to find the scoresheet for the Three Lions during their run to the semi-final.

As such, there has been mixed opinion regarding his performances in the media and Jones has said that Sterling is not effective when he has to play under pressure with the national side, he quipped: “I never got on Sterling’s back, I just said that sometimes his pace gets him out of a lot of trouble. When you go into a better team you play better yourself, there’s not so much pressure on you to dominate games.

England captain Harry Kane has revealed his disappointment after the Three Lions succumbed to a semi-final defeat to Croatia. The Three Lions were widely fancied against the Croatians heading into the game and they took an early lead thanks to Kieran Trippier stunning free-kick. However, that was pretty much the only real chance for the Three Lions, who witnessed Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic score in Croatia’s comeback win.

Speaking after the game, Kane admitted that the result is a huge disappointment but there are plenty of positives in terms of the success the team has found during the knockout phase, he said: “It is tough, we are gutted, we worked so hard and the fans were amazing.

As we’ve seen during previous World Cups, the best team in the group stages don’t always go on to win the tournament. That could spell bad news for supporters of Uruguay who were arguably the most impressive side in early qualifying, as they became the first nation since Argentina in 1998 to progress through the groups with three straight wins and without conceding a goal.

England and Belgium could also be cursed by that theory but as Russia 2018 heads into the knockout stage, no football supporter could accuse either France or Argentina to be among the best teams at this year’s World Cup.

Crystal Palace coach Steven Reid has backed Ruben Loftus-Cheek to make the summer World Cup with England after making a complete recovery from a knee injury. The midfielder earned plenty of praise during his first two caps for England in November but shortly after, he sustained a knee injury which kept him out for nearly two months.

Since then, Loftus-Cheek has slowly been reintegrated into the Eagles plans and he was named the man of the match during the recent 5-0 triumph over Leicester City. Speaking following the game, Reid said:"Ruben Loftus-Cheek could play anywhere, in any position. He has all the ingredients needed to be a superstar. He's got the size, the stature, two great feet. It's unfortunate that Oxlade-Chamberlain has got injured but sometimes these gaps open up and I'd be surprised if Ruben didn't go to the World Cup. We are not spoilt for choice in that position. On that performance against Leicester, yes, I would take him to the World Cup."