Micah Richards will become the youngest defender to play for England tonight with coach Steve McClaren saying he has no hesitation in playing the 18-year-old.
With Gary Neville injured, Birmingham-born Richards has been handed the right-back berth for the friendly with Holland in Amsterdam even though the Manchester City player has made only 23 Premiership starts for his club.
It is the type of leap of faith previous England bosses have taken on Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney. While Richards’ emergence has not been chronicled in the same manner, McClaren has no doubts about his ability to adapt. "It is not how old you are, it is how good you are," he said. "Micah has come into the squad and it is as if he had been involved all the time.
"He is a very confident boy, as you need to be at this level. I have no hesitation in picking him. He has been given a chance and I hope he takes it."
Having also handed Everton striker Andrew Johnson only his second start, as well as recalling Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard, McClaren has attempted to shake up the side which performed so dismally in Croatia last month.
But it is the inclusion of Richards which really gives this line-up a fresher feel. Although the most notable moments of his fledgling career involve a four-letter slip on live television after last season’s FA Cup tie at Aston Villa and then a petulant shirt-throwing incident when he was substituted at Reading, Richards has started fulfilling the promise McClaren first saw when he was manager at Middlesbrough.
"I have known about Micah for a couple of years," he said. "He impressed me playing both at reserve and youth-team level for Manchester City. I thought he was a player for the future and now that has come to the fore.
"He is a new breed of player; strong, quick, athletic, mobile. He has a great leap and will be effective in both boxes, as he has already proved in the Premiership."
Although the loss of Aaron Lennon has cost McClaren some width, he has abandoned the much-derided 3-5-2 formation used in Zagreb.
Instead, Gerrard is on the right side of midfield, as he has been in the previous four games he has been available for under McClaren.
Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick will again play in central midfield with Cole, who has recovered from his knee injury, on the left.
McClaren said: "From the outset, I said we wanted to play with width and pace and pick people who could beat opponents. It is something we lacked in the last squad but we have got this time.
"We also have players in form, which excites me. What we have to do is transmit that over, so they play well for England."
While it could be argued that Johnson, who has not scored for seven games since announcing his arrival at Everton with six goals in the first month, is not on form, the former Birmingham City player's pace and strength offer an alternative alongside Wayne Rooney.
Johnson is more like Louis Saha, who has such an effective partnership with Rooney at Manchester United, than Peter Crouch, who is on the bench.
"Since Andy has moved to Everton, he has grown in confidence," said McClaren.
"It was always difficult when he was playing in the Championship and joining up with the England squad.
"But he had a flying start at Everton and when he came into the England squad he looked a different player.
"He is playing with confidence, exuberance and enthusiasm like he always does and I am looking forward to seeing him play tomorrow."
ENGLAND: Robinson; Richards, Ferdinand, Terry, A Cole; Gerrard, Carrick, Lampard, J Cole; Rooney, Johnson.
