Bukayo Saka has admitted that England are still carrying the “scar” of their World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina, and that the wound will take its own time to heal.
Thomas Tuchel’s side looked set to become the first England men’s team to reach a World Cup final since 1966, only to be undone by two late Argentina goals in a 2-1 loss. England responded by beating France 6-4 in a remarkable bronze medal match, securing their best World Cup finish in six decades. Even so, the wait for a second major trophy goes on.
“Obviously, there is still a scar on us when you believed and everyone was so united and so confident we could do it,” Saka said. “Not just us, but the whole country we felt. You try to move on as soon as possible, but you know a scar is a scar, it decides to heal when it heals itself.”
Saka started three of England’s eight matches at the tournament.
The winger is now looking to move forward, with England hosting world champions Spain at Wembley on Saturday in the first of four Nations League fixtures across the next two weeks. “We are trying to draw a line under [the World Cup] now and focus on the new international season that we have coming up,” he added. “We have got four massive, difficult group games to try and qualify us for the Nations League [knockouts] that we are really focused on.”
Away from the senior squad, Saka believes it is only a matter of time before his Arsenal team-mate Max Dowman, 16, is called up by England. “I think so,” Saka said of a senior call-up. “His talent is insane. It’s up to him how far he is going to go in football. His talent is crazy.”
England Under-21 manager Lee Carsley agreed with Saka’s assessment of Dowman’s “amazing talent”, but believes keeping the teenager with the under-19s during this international window is the right path for now. “He is more than capable of playing in the under-21s,” Carsley said. “What I do think will happen with the age group he goes to is that he can play the minutes. He can also have that time to consolidate where he is in his career and play with his friends again and take that little bit of pressure off him.”
Carsley added: “I have no doubt that Max is going to be with the under-21s. That is something I am keen to have a conversation with him and his parents, on the way we see his pathway going, because he is an amazing talent and someone we are very lucky to have.”