England kicked their 2026 World Cup off with a bang after beating Croatia 4-2 in their opening match in Group L.
Despite heavy criticism about the 26-man squad he selected before a ball was even kicked, Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions were sensational against the Croats.
A brace from Harry Kane, one from Jude Bellingham and one from Marcus Rashford sealed the tie and meant England rocketed to the top of their group.
Rory Jennings criticises Reece James for England performance
It wasn't just England's goalscorers who were exceptional, though.
The midfield, which included Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson were crucial to the Three Lions' victory, and when it comes to the latter, Chelsea fan and broadcaster Rory Jennings had a lot of praise.
Speaking on his YouTube channel about Anderson's impressive performance for England against Croatia, Jennings said: "If anybody is worth £120 million, it is Elliot Anderson.
"He powered England. He was the motivation of England. He was snapping into tackles. He was vibrant. He was relentless. And do you know when he shone? In that first half when things weren't really going our way, that's when he shone.
"And that is a leader. That is the kind of man you want on your side. It's all very well being there when things are good but you know when things are not going well, when we're pressing the self destruct button, when players we can count are making bad decisions."
However, Jennings wasn't full of praise for every England player on Wednesday night.
Name dropping Chelsea captain Reece James as one of the side's weakest players, Jennings added: "When John Stones, of all people, is making bad decisions. When Reece James, of all people, [is] making bad decisions, Elliot Anderson was there. He was there and it was brilliant."
Tuchel took advantage of all five available substitutions but James was not one of them. Despite the 26-year-old not having his best game, he completed the full 90 minutes.
Out of character
James is undoubtedly among the best right-backs in world football on his day, if not, the, best. He has routinely shown just how important he can be at club level. There's a reason Chelsea moved quickly to reward him with a new, and improved, contract.
In contrast to Wednesday night's performance, the England international very rarely makes a bad decision. If anything, at Stamford Bridge, he's known for making the right choices, in the right positions, and at the right times.
Of course, there are always fitness concerns surrounding the Blues' skipper given his past record with injuries, but seemingly fully fit and firing, and irrespective of his last showing, there is no way he doesn't start England's next game against Ghana next Tuesday.
Clearly James had an off night against Croatia and wasn't the best player, or even best defender, on the pitch that night, but let's not forget just how good he has consistently been over the past six years.
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