France await in the World Cup quarter-final on Saturday and one the world’s best will be lying in wait.
But that’s enough about Jude Bellingham... what about Kylian Mbappe? Another brace for the PSG dude against Poland and both his assault on claiming the Golden Boot and France’s quest for back-to-back world titles are gathering pace.
The winger gave himself a platform to spring onto the global stage four years ago in Russia and he’s hardly been off it ever since.
However, with a tournament that has shown that time waits for no man - Lionel Messi just about keeping the wolf from the door - there aren’t too many candidates to fill the breach left by the Argentinian and his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mbappe is the obvious choice and, so far, he has only added to a reputation won during the triumphant French campaign. It would be wrong and naive to single out Les Bleus as a one-man team.
Antoine Griezmann’s left foot, Olivier Giroud’s ability to play as a spearhead and class players in almost every position means that boss Didier Deschamps has options aplenty.
But there can be no doubt that Mbappe is the matchwinner. An ace in the pack. The man who supplies the X-factor. The attacking force around which the French are basing this year’s quest.
The question is for Gareth Southgate: How does he stop this force of nature? The good news is that he already has the answer. Kyle Walker.
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Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)The England right-back already has experience of playing against Mbappe in the Champions League for Manchester City. And there are several clips of him on YouTube giving the PSG winger a taste of his own medicine.
Walker was described by former Spurs’ team-mate and current Three Lions colleague Eric Dier as: “the most extraordinarily physical player I’ve ever seen in my life.” And so far the evergreen Manchester City defender has been backing that up.
In fact, unprompted before he was given the sack at Villa, former boss Steven Gerrard was asked about England’s chances and he remarked that not only was Walker one of the best defenders in the Premier League, he was probably one of the best in the world.
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Marc Atkins/Getty Images)That’s why Southgate had no hesitation naming the 32-year-old in his squad, despite an injury. Having waited for Harry Maguire to return to full fitness during the European Championships, the Three Lions’ head coach knows what a fully-fit Walker can provide.
After blooding him against Wales and getting 90 minutes out of the right-back during the comfortable victory over the Senegalese, Walker is now primed and ready.
Will we see the kind of battle that Ashley Cole produced to blunt Ronaldo back in 2006 at a similar stage of the competition against the Portuguese? It would be nice to think so. Mbappe is waiting on Saturday. Hopefully, Walker will be too.
