DOWNING DANCES INTO LIMELIGHT

ON the day the man with two left feet shuffled away from Strictly Come Dancing, a footballer with one left foot - and nothing much else it seemed - came of age.

Stewart Downing has been to international football what John Sergeant has been to the ballroom.

Derided by all good judges.

A Steve McClaren pet who is slower than a week in the nick.

But in Berlin's Olympic Stadium, he was higher, faster, stronger.

FLYING HIGH - John Terry hurls himself forward to score the winning goal from Stewart Downing's cross

Downing has always had his defenders. McClaren and his Riverside successor Gareth Southgate swear by him.

But for some players, the apparently small hop between Premier League class and world class represents a giant leap.

Certainly, a jump that appeared to be beyond Downing.

It may yet prove that way. But for the first time, Downing wore the England shirt with authority, with confidence and with no little class.

His set-piece expertise set up both England goals - goals that were scant reward for an utterly dominant display - but that was only one brick in his towering display.

TWO GOOD - England goalscorers John Terry (left) and Matthew Upson celebrate

Instinct gives credit to Fabio Capello. After all, he is coaxing quality from unlikely quarters.

But the impetus brought by Capello should not camoflauge the commitment of Downing. Away from his Middlesbrough comfort zone, Downing has taken some fairly heavy-duty stick.

And being criticized in an England jersey can have a serious psychological effect.

But in front of over 74,000 people on Wednesday night, Downing was assured, incisive and dangerous.

Amends

And Capello - not normally one to single out individuals - labelled his evening's work 'fantastic'.

One of the main pleas from the dwindling group of David Beckham campaigners is that his brilliance from a dead-ball situation has not dimmed. Maybe not. But England now have plenty of other options.

Downing tested both German keepers from range and his corner led to Matthew Upson's toe-poked first-half goal while his expertly-flighted free-kick enabled John Terry to make amends for the mix-up that had gifted Germany an undeserved equaliser.

Downing, of course, is likely to make way when Steven Gerrard finally goes into an international break without an injury and when Frank Lampard returns.

But this was still a performance of significance - from Downing and the rest of the fringe players.

And one or two might just have made a case to lose their understudy tag.

Regime

Portsmouth's Glen Johnson - showing a maturity that many thought would never arrive - must be the best option for the right-back slot, even when Capello is picking from a full-strength squad.

And Shaun Wright-Phillips made a case for that right midfield slot. That he ran himself into cramped agony was a credit to his application on Wednesday night.

But it was also typical of what was essentially a second string team.

And that is because these players - strict regime or no strict regime - want to play for Fabio Capello.

That is possibly the most important thing the Italian has brought to English football.

Players from top to bottom of the squad realise that something special might be achieved under this man's guidance ... and to a man, they want to be part of it.

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