Gary Lineker doesn't hand out praise easily, and when he starts questioning whether a player of Declan Rice's standing has his England spot secured, it's worth listening. After Alex Scott's debut in the 7-0 demolition of Croatia, Lineker did exactly that.
"I wonder what Thomas Tuchel is going to do," Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast. "Does it give him a different option now, and does it mean, perhaps, that Declan's place is not always assured?"
What Scott actually brought to the table
It was one game. Croatia were poor on the night. Both things are true. But Scott's performance wasn't just impressive in context — it offered England something their midfield has genuinely lacked: composure in possession, constant scanning, and the kind of ball-retention that defines tournament-winning teams.
Lineker put it plainly: "There's a calmness and control to Scott — he never gives the ball away." That's not a knock on Rice, who brings energy, delivery, and relentless work rate. It's a recognition that Scott is a functionally different player, and Tuchel now has a choice to make about what he actually wants his midfield to look like.
Tuchel himself was unambiguous after the match. "First start and what a start. He is so smooth on the ball, his decision-making is at the highest level. He is just the complete package." That's not the language of a manager who saw a decent cameo. That's a coach mentally filing away a new option.
Rice isn't going anywhere — but the dynamic has shifted
Rice has been Tuchel's midfield anchor even when carrying knocks through the World Cup qualifiers. His position isn't under immediate threat, and a two-month injury layoff for Scott after Tuesday's Czechia match will pause this conversation anyway.
But Scott will be back. And the 23-year-old, who was left out of Tuchel's World Cup squad, isn't hiding his motivation. "It gave me more hunger," he said after the Croatia win. "There's so many top players for this country — it's a tough squad to get into."
He's right. And he just made it tougher for everyone else. For those tracking England's midfield dynamics ahead of the World Cup, the market just got a new name to factor in.
