Kalvin Phillips admitted he was suffering from a lack of match sharpness and was lucky not be sent off during England's sensational 3-1 win over Italy on Tuesday.
Gareth Southgate kept faith in the Manchester City star, who has continued to struggle for consistent minutes under Pep Guardiola this season, and was rewarded as the midfielder and Declan Rice kept Italy's playmakers quiet for the majority of the match.
After falling behind to Gianluca Scamacca's strike in the 16th minute, Harry Kane equalised from the penalty spot to level terms on the hour mark.