Total football: Young Johnson makes his mark

Wayne Rooney may have grabbed the headlines this week for his exploits both on and off the field but away from the tabloid frenzy that surrounds the boy from Toxteth, a young winger by the name of Adam Johnson was putting together a brace of performances for England that deserve high praise.

Some players are born to grace the international stage and Johnson's performances at Wembley and in Basel in England's opening qualifiers for Euro 2012 suggest he is such a player.

Two outings off the bench yielded two goals for the right winger but it was the assured nature of his play that suggested a major talent in the making.

Manchester City have lavished millions attracting some of the best talent to Eastlands over the past couple of years but there is a growing feeling in football that their shrewdest bit of business was landing the 23-year-old from Middlesbrough.

A natural left footer, Johsnon has made a name for himself on the right for City where his ability to cut inside has reaped dividends. Both his goals for England were thanks to this willingness with his second against the Swiss seeing him round the keeper and finish with his left, following a superb through-ball from Steven Gerrard.

Middlesbrough fans, of course, remember him as a left winger and his ability to play on either flank may come in useful after the tireless James Milner was ruled out of the next qualifier following two yellow cards.

It will be interesting then to see who Fabio Capello chooses to face Montenegro next month following a week when the Three Lions managed to undo some of the damage caused by the World Cup debacle.

It looks highly likely that John Terry and Rio Ferdinand will be fit again but such was the assured display of Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott that England's long-standing central defensive partnership are no longer guaranteed names on the England teamsheet.

Meanwhile, Terry's Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard should also be fit but there is a growing groundswell of opinion that the midfielder should start on the bench allowing Gerrard to remain in his favoured central midfield role.

The omission of Milner may allow Capello to rationalise moving the Liverpool talisman back on the left but this is a huge waste of his talent.

Gerrard should not only remain central to England's plans but should also retain the captain's armband despite the recovery of Ferdinand.

The 30-year-old has been hugely impressive as skipper both on and off the field and his backing of good friend Rooney managed to diffuse, to some extent at least, the tabloid circus that once again threatened to engulf England.

Of course, Rooney is key to any England performance and in a week where his private life has hardly been that, he put in two assured performances that had his manager purring.

Rooney may prefer to be used as an out-an-out striker for England but Capello should continue to utilise him in the ‘hole', allowing him the freedom to conduct the play and grab the headlines for all the right reasons.