Gareth Southgate could have been excused had he wanted to catch his breath following a draining autumn.
England’s manager, however, was at Goodison Park on Saturday night to ensure not a second is wasted in preparation for the European Championship. It proved to be a wise decision, not least as he took in arguably the most entertaining game of the day.
Southgate had a number of targets to scout, from the Everton trio of Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, to Leeds striker Patrick Bamford, who must still be wondering how he left the stadium without a goal.