Deluxe Bentley makes marque

We will know whether McClaren considers Bentley ready on Saturday. He certainly has the belief. At 22, and already cast aside by Arsene Wenger, he could have gone off the rails. A brief loan spell at Norwich proved little that was not known.

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Bentley has talent and confidence but is it enough at this level? In Blackburn boss Mark Hughes, if not necessarily McClaren - who may still turn his back on youth with the hot breath of failure on his neck - he has found his mentor.

Regional rivalry does not become inconsequential because of a white shirt and three lions. Bentley was jeered by a partisan crowd that could not forgive his Blackburn ties. Their shame will be in failing to recognise talent.

The trust similarly took time to arrive from his team-mates. Bentley was starved of the required service early on but he kept to his flank, resisting the desire to come inside to be more involved.

It was a wise move. The service arrived, the quality from the right thereafter got better and better. Bentley grew into the game and into an England shirt.

It took a quarter-of-an hour to have the opportunity to go past Kristi Vangjeli. So he waited and then he did, crossing to the near post as Michael Owen and Alan Smith watched.

Smith made no mistake in the 34th minute with the opening goal to settle the nerves and in the 37th minute, Arjan Beqaj flapped at another right-wing Bentley cross; this time it fell to Stewart Downing and the finish was telling.

Bentley was now motoring and in the 58th minute he started the move for the third with an exquisite flick to Phil Jagielka.

There was still much to be done as Jagielka found skipper Michael Owen but the Newcastle forward threaded a fine pass to Downing who then produced an exquisite chipped finish. But it all stemmed from Bentley's side of the pitch.

There were even pockets of applause from the stands when, in the 72nd minute, his evening was over as he was substituted but rightly awarded the man-ofthematch award.

His display was an unexpected plus on the night for McClaren as was Smith's. The latter was feisty and back to his best, with the bonus of a goal.

The Manchester United forward is ahead of Owen in the race for full fitness and it showed. But Owen has another 90 minutes under his belt. He does look rusty and is striving too hard, but with fitness short, that is no bad thing.

This, though, was a night when the flanks flickered into life. Bentley was quality on the right and substitute Downing, on the other wing, scored twice to increase his international belief.

Bentley's greatest task now is to climb above the prestigious names with designs on the right side; Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Kieron Dyer and Aaron Lennon.

None have mastered the role since Beckham, hence the clamour for his recall. Gerrard does not like it there, Dyer is unhappy out wide and Lennon limped off with a kneee injury and there will be doubts about his fitness.

That could yet open the door. Bentley possessed the No 7 shirt although it may well be back with a more familiar figure when England face Brazil and Estonia.

The fact it may be Beckham's on a temporary basis says everything.