Harvey Barnes banked an assist - that many felt should have been a goal - as England drew 1-1 with Uruguay.
Harvey Barnes has expressed his “love” for being back in the England setup after a six-year hiatus.
Introduced in the closing stages, Barnes thought he broke the deadlock when he flicked an effort towards goal from Cole Palmer’s corner. As his shot trickled towards goal, Arsenal defender Ben White - booed by sections of Three Lions fans when introduced - ensured the ball crossed the line.
England ultimately capitulated in stoppage time as Federico Valverde equalised from the spot. Barnes - at one stage destined to finish his career as a one-cap wonder - can be happy to produce an assist on a night he never thought would come.
Harvey Barnes posts social media message
The 28-year-old earned an unlikely recall hours after Newcastle United lost the Tyne-Wear derby last weekend. Eberechi Eze’s injury opened up a space for Barnes, who has scored 14 goals for the Magpies this season.
Barnes has not featured for England since a 3-0 win over Wales in 2020. With the World Cup just months away, the Toon winger will hope his contribution can give Thomas Tuchel food for thought ahead of the squad announcement.
In a five-word message on Instagram, Barnes wrote: “Loved being back out there.” Newcastle skipper Bruno Guimaraes - in contention to return after the international break - responded with a love-heart emoji.
Harvey Barnes’ Scotland U-turn
Scotland manager Steve Clarke recently revealed that Barnes snubbed the chance to represent Scotland. He is eligible to represent the Tartan Army through his maternal ancestry.
With Barnes backing himself for England duty, this signalled a swift U-turn as, earlier this season, he left the door open to switch his international allegiance. He told reporters: “I've obviously played for England, I know the eligibility side is still there.
“So it’s hard to say either way. But like I said, there's been no real chats or any sort of progression in that sense. It's not something I've really put too much thought into. There's always been this sort of talk about it.
“Especially recently, it's not really something that's been on my mind, nothing that's really been spoken about. It was great seeing them get through (to the World Cup) and it was a crazy game.”
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