England 2-0 Finland: Three Lions jobs look set to be lost by Lee Carsley

He helped set up Kane’s first goal against Finland with another display of intelligence, and created the most chances for England on the night with five. It was the third time he had created five or more chances for his country since 2019, with no other player doing so more than once in that time.

Carsley was full of praise, saying: “You’ve seen Trent’s range of passing, an ability to control a game. It’s no surprise because we’ve seen him do that for Liverpool.”

As with England, Alexander-Arnold faces greater challenges, particularly in defence. But Carsley’s words will be music to the ears of the 25-year-old, who has looked a little unpopular at times during international matches.

The big advantage for Carsley is that his selection decisions have also allowed him to emphasise the scale of options open to him. Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon has shown the speed and creativity required to add options down the left flank, while Jack Grealish has made his mark on the No.10 role.

All this happened while the hugely talented trio of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden were injured and ill.

The England interim manager was frank about his new role: “I definitely don’t feel comfortable yet.

“I’ve been out of my comfort zone. It’s been fun, but we’ve had to make sure we set high standards every day. We’re lucky to have had two good results, so it’s about building on that.”

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “As you can imagine it’s a test. Not just for me but for the rest of the staff. We’ve shown ourselves that we can do it and we can implement what we’re trying to do. We can put ideas into practice and the players have responded really well to what we’ve asked.”

The straight bat was still pushed firmly forward at Wembley when asked if this meant he was saying he wanted the job: “I certainly won’t say that. I’m completely relaxed about the situation. I’ve got to do a good job.”

Carsley’s next assignment is a home game against Greece at Wembley in October, followed by a trip to Helsinki to face Finland. If he can win twice more, his run of success could take an unstoppable turn.