Seven hundred and ninety-two people were at Alfreton Town when an England side boasting Cole Palmer, James Trafford and Tino Livramento beat South Korea by two unanswered goals scored before half-time almost seven years ago.
Palmer scored one of them. And the other came from a youngster who was dealing with persistent question marks then, and still does to this day.
Noni Madueke pinched the second for an Under 18s team that has since produced several senior internationals. Morgan Rogers was around it at the time too, having completed a seven-figure move to Manchester City weeks earlier.
The FA had a frightening amount of talent at their disposal and the jostling for positions – in that squad but also to remain visible when leaving academy football behind – was on.
In terms of ability, little could separate many of them. The fine margins, the one per cent, would mark who went on to record true international honours.
With Madueke, a 17-year-old who had turned down Manchester United when leaving Tottenham for PSV Eindhoven in search of first-team football, there were key areas for improvement. FA coaches set about moulding him into somebody whose attributes eventually caught the eye while under Lee Carsley and have earned the trust of Thomas Tuchel, starting both games at this World Cup so far.
Noni Madueke has become a shoo-in for England, having earned the trust of boss Thomas Tuchel
Madueke was England’s most dangerous attacker against Ghana before losing his way in the second half
His rise with England didn’t start at Alfreton, during that September 2019 camp of three friendlies, but is certainly defined by it.
‘Noni showed glimpses of being a player who has the technical ability and tactical understanding,’ says Ian Foster, the coach then trusted with bringing youngsters through the pathway. ‘But there were parts I found particularly frustrating – defensive work and his attitude towards that.’
Foster, who went to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ettifaq as Steven Gerrard’s assistant in 2023, gathered some coaches and analysts together to give a presentation to him.
They used Gareth Southgate’s seniors as a benchmark, looking over data and clips from victories over Bulgaria and Kosovo. Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford were the wingers. Madueke sat and watched that through with Foster on arrival for international duty in October. It delivered a message.
‘We reminded him that talent wasn’t enough,’ Foster adds. ‘Look at who else is trying to get in the team: you need to offer more than ability. Talented wingers can show you that they can do the dirty work and choose when to do it. What we demonstrated to him is that you can’t do that at the top level. He said, “Right, watch me”.
‘His performances after that were outstanding. He scored an unbelievable goal in Poland a month after and he actually captained the team in November based on his behaviours off the pitch. The penny dropped.’
This is perhaps instructive of why Madueke is here ahead of Palmer or Phil Foden. Through the Under 21s, when winning the European Championship three years ago, to now under Tuchel, he has been seen as reliable.
He is undoubtedly an FA project and shaped in a way that means he can contribute on the biggest stage. Follows instructions, mucks in. Those who know him insist that the final piece, the final ball, will come.
Madueke came through the FA pathway, winning the Under-21 Euros in 2023
Madueke’s relentless repetitions of practising off both feet accelerated his progression and made him a trickier winger to deal with
Doubts have surrounded him throughout his career. Spurs didn’t appear to put up much of a fight when PSV came calling. Going to Chelsea was a slow burn and then there was outcry when Arsenal spent £50million on him last summer, supporters even organising a petition against his signing.
But talking to others who know the 24-year-old, who has been holding up England’s right-hand side as Bukayo Saka deals with fitness problems, it has become clear why a spot on the plane never really appeared in doubt.
Sources say his ability to cope with extra attention has been a major plus, a similar attitude to Anthony Gordon over the years. His relentless repetitions of practising off both feet accelerated his progression and made him a trickier winger, happy to go inside or outside when met with a marker.
There were a few moments of this early on against Ghana when feeding Reece James or heading for the byline. Madueke went on to lose his way in the second half, mirroring everybody else before the late substitutions, but had been England’s most dangerous attacker.
He’s been described by staff as having a ‘goldfish memory’ – a capability of immediately shrugging off a mistake and ‘going again’ – and in major tournaments, when criticism flies, that is no bad trait to have.
There has been talk about finishers in this competition and how they will be the individuals to impact how far England go. While managing the fitness of Saka – his problem believed to be two-pronged and not only localised to the achilles – Madueke has been tasked with stretching defences for the majority and then letting his Arsenal team-mate do the rest.
Saka has labelled their situation, close friends battling for the same spot for club and country, as ‘unique’, which is definitely one word for it. ‘I don’t really know how it works, but it does,’ Saka said of their relationship.
‘Noni speaks well, speaks honestly,’ Foster says. ‘I’d always try to create challenging conversations which will set them up. He’ll be brave in those meetings. You’ll challenge them tactically but to speak freely and handle those types of challenges is different. You can see the effect he has on his team-mates.
Madueke gives off the same vibe whether he starts, comes off the bench or is not used at all
Bukayo Saka has labelled their situation, close friends battling for the same spot for club and country, as ‘unique’. ‘I don’t know how it works, but it does,’ Saka said of their relationship
‘When you’re going away for five weeks, living in each other’s pockets, it can be stressful. Some haven’t been selected in the past because of that. His attitude and behaviours will not change if he starts or finishes or isn’t involved.’
That was a key factor in the Under-21 tournament in Georgia, when Madueke lost his place for the semi-final and subsequently the final win over Spain. Emile Smith Rowe was preferred yet those present in the dressing room didn’t detect any change in Madueke’s demeanour. Against Spain, he bounded on from the substitutes’ bench and put in a huge defensive effort as England remarkably ended the tournament without conceding a goal.
At the FA now, they discuss his brave decision to head for the Netherlands at 17. Ruud van Nistelrooy was Madueke’s coach for the B team and kept in close contact with England to make sure both sides were on board with the development plan. It cannot be a coincidence that six weeks after that meeting on the donkey work, Madueke was named on the PSV first-team bench and soon made a senior debut. He ended up being unplayable, which is why Chelsea ultimately paid more than £28m for him.
‘I bumped into Ruud recently,’ Foster adds. ‘We were laughing. Noni’s such a character, a great kid. He brightens up a room when he comes in. Glass half full. You can have honest conversations with him.
‘If you give him an inch, he might just take a little bit more. But he’s not malicious in any sense. PSV were seeing the same thing as we were. You see them breaking their neck to score but can they do it the other way? He’s certainly learnt.
‘He’s kicked on again. There are question marks around his place but I don’t see that. I had him for three years and know how special he can be.’
