Dunk masterclass helps England beat Scotland
After a masterclass performance for England against Scotland in only his second international appearance, Three Lions fans everywhere now understand why Brighton supporters have been championing the talents of Lewis Dunk for so long.
Here was the Albion captain, pitched in at the deep end in the most unfriendliest friendly imaginable. Hampden Park was as intimidating and raucous as ever, Tartan Army supporters fired up by their 100 percent record in Euro 2024 qualifying and believing this to be the best chance of victory over the auld enemy for many years.
Dunk though did not wilt. He was calmness personified and were it not for a sensational showing from the world class Jude Bellingham, he would have walked away with the England man-of-the-match award. There is no shame in coming second to a player as good as Bellingham.
Watching Dunk in the closest thing you can get to a club rivalry at international level was to realise how far he has come this past decade.
When Brighton went to Crystal Palace in 2012 for one of his first experience of Selhurst Park, Dunk lasted all of eight minutes before receiving a straight red card. You would have got long odds that afternoon as the Albion fell to a 3-0 defeat of Dunk playing for England.
His journey to Hampden Park has been one of sheer grit and determination, rather than coming from the sort of God-given talent the likes of Bellingham and Phil Foden possess.
Dunk spent the best part of two years out of the Brighton side between 2012 and 2014. He endured a disappointing loan spell in League One at Bristol City.
He has been through a well publicised court case. He had to bounce back from losing his place again in 2015 after handing in a transfer request and refusing to play in an attempt to force through a move to Fulham.
Most controversially of all, Dunk has spent five years in the international wilderness since making his England debut against the United States in November 2018.
In that time, Brighton have gone from perennial relegation strugglers under Chris Hughton to the top 10 under Graham Potter and now, Europa League football with Roberto De Zerbi at the helm.
Dunk has been central to that and yet still Gareth Southgate chose to ignore him. It felt at times like Dunk must have run over Southgate’s cat or something; there was no logical football reason for the Albion captain being continually overlooked for Three Lions duty.
Scotland v England represented a big chance – possibly a last chance – for Dunk to stake his claim. And boy, did he take it.
The debate is no longer whether Dunk should be in the squad. That has to be a given. It is now whether he starts alongside John Stones when the Manchester City defender is back from injury.
Palace defender Marc Guehi and a certain Levi Colwill might have something to say about that. Both are significantly younger than Dunk and have the potential to be mainstays of the England defence for years to come.
But Southgate should not be picking his starting XI based on five or six years time. England have every chance of winning the European Championships in Germany this summer if the head coach selects his best team.
Dunk showed against Scotland he should be in it, in contrast to Harry Maguire who was mercilessly taunted by Scotland fans in the second half. It was hard not to feel sorry for him by the end.
A quick look at Dunk’s numbers tell you how good he was. He had the most touches of any England player (107), attempted the most passes (98), completed the most passes (92), won the most aerial duels (four out of seven) and made the most clearances (five).
Lewis Dunk against Scotland — ranked among England starters:
🥇 Most touches (106)
🥇 Most passes attempted (98)
🥇 Most passes completed (92)
🥇 Most aerial duels won (4/7)
🥇 Most clearances (5)Second. Ever. Cap. 🏴 #BHAFC #SCOENG pic.twitter.com/W9zwBX96Un
— Albion Analytics (@AlbionAnalytics) September 12, 2023
Lining up as a right sided centre back rather than on the left as he has for Brighton this season, Dunk was instantly into his groove stroking the ball around the back line dangerously close to Aaron Ramsdale’s goal.
Whilst Three Lions supporters not familiar to the way the Albion play under De Zerbi might have been panicked, Brighton fans are used to it. Keep the ball in dangerous areas, draw the press, break through.
So too those who watched England Under 21s win the European Championships in the summer, where Lee Carsley deployed a form of DeZerbiBall to end a 40 year wait for silverware.
Southgate could do a lot worse than follow Carsley’s blueprint for success and use DeZerbiBall at Euro 2024, in which case Dunk has to be a shoe-in to start.
Dunk headed away a couple of Scotland free kicks into the box during a first half in which England scored twice through Foden and Bellingham.
Maguire replaced Guehi at the break, requiring Dunk to become increasingly prominent as the second 45 minutes wore on.
There were two trademark Dunk moments in the space of a few minutes midway through. A flying block to keep out an Aaron Hickey shot was followed by a calm chest back into the arms of Ramsdale under pressure.
The football world marvelled at the confidence and the audacity; we see that Dunk party trick on a weekly basis whilst watching the Albion.
Maguire put through his own net in Colin Hawkins fashion to give Scotland a lifeline they barely deserved as the final 20 minutes approached.
England had to weather a bit of a storm after that, Dunk doing just enough to put off John McGinn into heading over having initially lost the run of the Aston Villa midfielder. That was the only thing Dunk could mildly wrong all evening.
A piece of brilliance from Bellingham and a clinical finish from captain Harry Kane on 81 minutes ended any hopes of a Scotland comeback.
Dunk and the rest of his England teammates were left to celebrate a famous win as Hampden emptied, the Tartan Army heading home having lost 3-1 in their cup final.
If Southgate has any sense, Dunk will not be waiting another five years for England cap number three. The Brighton captain could not have made a more compelling case to be playing regularly for England.
Get him on the plane to Germany, Southgate.
