21 November 2023 , 06:56
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Gareth Southgate hailed Rico Lewis' "excellent" England debut after the teenager bounced back from conceding a penalty against North Macedonia.
Manchester City defender Lewis was penalised by referee Filip Glova after being judged to have fouled forward Bojan Miovski when he caught him with his arm. The decision to award a spot kick after a VAR review was ridiculed by pundits, with Gary Lineker branding it "the most ridiculous penalty decision" and Dion Dublin insisting it was "never a penalty".
North Macedonia did take the lead as a result of the penalty, with Enis Bardhi scoring a rebound after his initial effort was saved by Jordan Pickford. The game ended 1-1 after England found a late equaliser, with Jani Atanasov scoring an own goal.
And despite conceding the penalty, Lewis impressed Southgate on debut, having been drafted into the squad after a raft of withdrawals. "I thought he was excellent," Southgate said. "His ability to receive in tight areas was a standout.
"His bravery with the ball, but also the resilience to come back from a bit of a setback that was no fault of his own. He's a unique player because working out the specifics of the role and where that all fits is really interesting. His ability to keep possession and do that well under pressure is a fabulous asset to have."
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Lewis started at left-back against North Macedonia and he believes his versatility could help him earn a spot in England's Euro 2024 squad, with the City star also capable of playing at right-back and in midfield.
"Obviously, in terms of a tournament, you can only select the amount you can select and it can be a key factor in going or not going," Lewis said before the game. "But for me, I am not really focusing on that right now but I understand it is a key thing that could contribute to me being picked or not.
Rico Lews impressed on his England debut (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)"Anywhere I played, I would relish it. Whether it is right back, midfield, left back - I am not really bothered. Obviously I just love playing football and at the moment it is going really well. Any opportunity I get, I will do my best to take it."
And former England international Joe Cole was hugely impressed by Lewis' debut, telling Channel 4: "Outstanding. Pep Guardiola waxed lyrical about him and tonight he was so difficult to pick up for the opposition.
"He allowed England to build through the lines much better than they did against Malta. He was effective. I think he is an outstanding footballer and has given Gareth Southgate another real option in that position."