Angel Gomes is 1.68m, like N’Golo Kante, and has many similarities… England were hungry for a player like him

At first glance it appeared that England had more mascots than usual as the teams lined up for their 2-0 win over Finland.

Harry Kane had some of his children on the pitch to celebrate his 100th international match, but there still seemed to be too many children on the pitch.

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On closer inspection it turned out to be Angel Gomes, England’s new midfield hope. Officially he is 1.68m tall, but even that seems debatable.

Interim manager Lee Carsley clearly believes that small things are good.

Rico Lewis, who also had a decent second appearance in the senior team, is also a few inches taller than Gomes, but his hair does give him some extra length.

Although Gomes looks small in the middle of the pitch, it is still a refreshing sight considering that more and more managers are convinced that every player should be 1.83m tall.

The 24-year-old is the same height as former Chelsea and Leicester midfielder N’Golo Kante and there are clear similarities in their playing styles.

England were hungry for a player like him. After an encouraging cameo against Ireland, Gomes, who came through the ranks from Manchester United, delivered a smooth and composed performance.

Although his participation was a surprise, we will definitely see more of him in the coming months.

You can see why he stood out in every age category with his touch, control and the way he receives the ball and moves with his back to goal.

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England ratings vs Finland: Kane scores double on his big day… but he’s not the Three Lions’ star player

TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD showed his brilliance as Harry Kane scored twice to help England beat Finland.

Interim manager Lee Carsley maintained his 100 percent winning percentage as England manager.

SunSports’ Tom Barclay has given his ratings of the England players…

Jordan Pickford – 6

Had nothing to do.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – STAR MAN 9

England’s best player, he made some great passes from distance which would otherwise have resulted in a wealth of assists.

He did eventually get one, but that was mainly due to Harry Kane’s deadly finishing.

Ezri Konsa – 6

Showed his possession with a great pass for Bukayo Saka on the half hour mark.

Sprained his ankle early in the second half but surprisingly played on before being substituted after an hour.

John Stones – 6

Played as a left back before moving up when Levi Colwill came on.

Solid but not much to go around. Now 19 under 100 caps.

Rico Lewis-7

In the right place to avert the early threat of ex-Norwich man Teemu Pukki.

Came close to scoring in his second international match for England when he shot off the side after half-time.

Declan Rice – 5

Loses possession and gives Finland the only real chance. Topi Kesinen should have sent the ball to Pukki, but he shot the ball wildly over.

Angel Gomes – 7

Wanted the ball from the start, just as Lee Carsley thought he would. Lovely drilled cross-field ball to Alexander-Arnold early doors showed his range.

Bukayo Saka – 7

Nearly scored and nearly provided an assist in a lively display.

It was a pity that Kane was offside by a few millimetres after the centurion headed in the Arsenal player’s fine cross.

Jack Grealish-7

It was great to be back in the thick of the action at No 10 as he did against Ireland on Saturday.

Carsley clearly likes him. It will be fascinating to see what happens when Messrs Bellingham, Foden and Palmer all return.

Anthony Gordon-7

Caused problems on the left with his fast pace – we needed that at the European Championships.

But he was not up to his shooting power as he wasted a good chance early in the second half.

Harry Kane-8

Two magnificent goals gave the centurion an astonishing 69 goals in 100 international matches.

Denied the chance to complete a hat-trick for his family when he was substituted in the last ten, earning a standing ovation.

Kane said he thinks he will achieve many international goals, but that doesn’t seem unlikely.

PARTS

Levi Colwill (for Konsa, 61) – 6

When he came on the field, there was virtually no threat from Finland.

Eberechi Eze (on for Gordon, 66) – 6

Rushed on to another special pass from Trent, but couldn’t get the ball over the keeper.

Noni Madueke (in for Saka, 66) – 7

Looked to make an impact every time he got the ball on his debut. Excellent one-two with Trent saw the Chelsea man deny Kane’s second.

Marc Guehi (for Stones, 80) – 6

As with Colwill, there is little to do.

Jarrod Bowen (replaces Kane, 81) – 6

Played up front after Kane was sent off in the final minutes, as he did at West Ham.

Gomes had a lot of possession at Wembley, especially in the first half, and at no point did he look for the safe option of a sideways pass.

He always tried a risky pass, but he made it look easy.

The Lille midfielder gave Kane a good chance and then made a beautiful pass to Bukayo Saka, but his cross was cleared for a corner.

Despite being small in stature, Gomes still got his foot in the game. He tackled Teemu Pukki to cheers from the home crowd and then won the ball to free himself, but Matti Peltola threw himself into the air and was fouled.

Gomes’ performances will earn him further matches next month, against Greece at Wembley, and three days later against Finland.

But the real test will come when England play a better team and have much less possession.

Only then will we see what Gomes is like without the ball and whether he can defend well enough.

Kobbie Mainoo, who has played in a similar position to Gomes for England, has also produced some notable performances, but there have also been times – such as the final against Spain – when he was overlooked.

Although his preferred position is No. 10, Gomes could perhaps be the player who can dominate games in a deeper role, as Rodri does for Manchester City and Spain.

Carsley’s travels in the coming weeks will not be limited to Premier League matches.

He will also travel to Germany to see Kane at Bayern Munich and rising star Jamie Bynoe-Gittens at Dortmund.

In Madrid, Jude Bellingham and Conor Gallagher are present, while Carsley has indicated he may travel to Saudi Arabia to watch Ivan Toney.

But above all, you get the impression that Carsley is going to Northern France to watch Gomes, and we will see a lot more of him in the future.

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