CRAIG HOPE: Conor Gallagher let his England opportunity slip through his fingers against Brazil, while Jordan Henderson played a blinder from the stands… the midfield spot next to Declan Rice remains up for grabs

This was Jordan Henderson’s best England game for some time. He was not booed and did not put a foot wrong. That he spent the entire evening in the stands speaks to the performance of others on the pitch.

England’s holding-midfield berth alongside Declan Rice is, more than any other position, up for grabs ahead of the Euros. Conor Gallagher let it slip through his fingers here.

That was reflected in the mood of the Chelsea man when he came to reflect afterwards. He was not buoyant or bullish and, echoing what Mail Sport had noted on full-time, there was ‘some good, some bad’ to his game.

‘It is hard to be happy when you lose the game,’ said Gallagher, when pressed on his own performance. ‘I thought there were good moments and bad moments. Growing in confidence comes with games and I was really excited to play. Hopefully I can build on this, get more confident and hopefully play a part in the squad.’

Conor Gallagher missed his opportunity to claim his England spot in the game against Brazil

Jordan Henderson had one of his better games, because he was watching from the stands

That last sentence perhaps betrays his fear of a starting role lost. The appeal of Henderson, meanwhile, grew, and he will return to feature against Belgium tomorrow. Maybe it is that England need a Steady Eddie – or a Happy Hendo – to run the hard yards and make the easy passes in a deeper role, enabling those in front to flourish.

Gallagher, in fairness, broke the lines to make some purposeful forward charges, especially early on. He just does not have the quality on the ball to convert on positions of promise. It would be better Rice making those bursts while Henderson – or another – sits as the insurance policy.

To that end, you can see why Gareth Southgate will persist with the Ajax midfielder despite the outside noise. There are so few alternatives, for starters.

The question marks over who will accompany Declan Rice in England’s midfield remain

Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo is just 18, and Gareth Southgate is not prone to risk

Gallagher? See above. Kobbie Mainoo? He’s 18 and Southgate is not prone to risk. Trent Alexander-Arnold? He is perhaps the favourite but has not played since early February because of a knee injury. Kalvin Phillips? The more he plays for West Ham, the further away he gets from England. He might have been better off staying in the shadows at Manchester City.

Because while it is not necessarily right, reputations are protected and often enhanced when not playing. Just ask Jordan Henderson.