Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
A teenager who starts in midfield because the senior man has gone home is being judged against a £105million standard. That is a hard first impression to give a national audience.
Full-backs who become midfielders are how modern squads survive withdrawals. The praise arrives when they do not look lost next to Jude Bellingham.
A 3-2 defeat at Wembley still leaves room for one name to come out well.
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Gary Lineker has called Myles Lewis-Skelly exceptional after England’s 3-2 Nations League defeat to Spain. Lamine Yamal scored after two minutes, Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane put England ahead, then Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal won it for the world champions.
Declan Rice withdrew from Thomas Tuchel’s squad after the Brighton defeat. Lewis-Skelly started in midfield with Elliot Anderson.
Speaking on The Rest is Football, Lineker said the display had been remarkable.
“It’s funny because you’ve got Nico O’Reilly who is really a midfield player turned left-back and you’ve got Lewis-Skelly who is a full-back and seems to have turned into a midfield player.
“Obviously when they grow up nowadays they kind of play everywhere, all these positions, so it’s really good for them. But they’re two exceptional footballers.
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“I think he’s done really well in that midfield role filling the boots of Declan Rice.
“Big responsibility against Spain, especially when you’ve got one of the midfielders, Jude Bellingham, who is primarily in forward positions. I thought both Lewis-Skelly and Elliot Anderson in there were exceptional.”
The 19-year-old has played every Premier League game this season except the 3-0 loss at Brighton, the only league match Arsenal have lost. Bruno Guimaraes arrived in the summer and Lewis-Skelly has still kept a role. His contract runs to 2030.
Rice is expected back for club duty after sitting out this camp. Arteta can use both. The left-back who has become a midfielder is no longer a novelty at London Colney; it is how he has earned England minutes with the first-choice six at home.
England face the Czech Republic on Tuesday. Arsenal play Leeds on 10 October. Lineker’s point was the responsibility, not the result. Filling Rice against Spain and not looking out of place is the line that will follow Lewis-Skelly back to training.
Mikel Arteta - Arsenal