At last a happy end to all the ifs about Butt

It was, by any measure, a performance to remember on a night that no one will forget, least of all Nicky Butt. Out for five weeks with a knee injury, he made a comeback of such dramatic impact that his Manchester United team-mate Juan Sebastian Veron was reduced to the role of a helpless observer for the second 45 minutes and his own England colleagues were singing his praises with abandon. Even Sven Goran Eriksson was moved to remark that Butt had "played well, very, very well, in an important position for the team".

As others – notably Danny Mills, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole and Trevor Sinclair – also proved that this youthful England has more potential than many expected, it was Butt who provided the key ingredient. Butt, 27, is not a youngster, but in England terms this was the night when he, and the others, truly came of age.

It was Butt, in an unselfish and hard-working role as the defensive shield who was picked out by his midfield partners as the outstanding man on the field. Butt covered every blade of natural grass in the utterly unnatural Dome stadium. "Everyone played a part tonight," said Paul Scholes. "But Nicky Butt was awesome in the middle of things and you cannot describe how well he played, given that he had been out for five weeks."

In the past, Butt has been criticised for too much "enthusiasm" in the tackle, a euphemism for a tendency to hot-headed misjudgements, but under Eriksson's guidance he has blossomed into a player of craft and intelligence who can break up attacks and start them.

Beckham, obviously enjoying an opportunity to praise a team-mate, said: "Nicky Butt was excellent today. He never gave the ball away, he played some excellent passes and we went on from there, but everyone in the team right from David Seaman to the strikers played very well.

"It was hard to believe he had been out at all. He played like he had never been injured. We performed well in the first half of the Sweden game, but in the second half we let it slip. We made sure that we concentrated hard on that, and worked to find out why that happened. And we put it right. Nicky was excellent."

Eriksson had recalled Butt, after his injury lay-off, to play alongside the promising Owen Hargreaves in the central midfield holding roles. This would have freed Beckham and Scholes, on right and left respectively, to concentrate on creative possession play. But when the luckless Hargreaves went off injured, Butt was left to deliver an outstanding performance with Scholes moved alongside him.

Eclipsed at Old Trafford by Roy Keane's brooding hold on central midfield, the celebrity status of Beckham and the inconsistent talents of Veron, Butt has had few chances to show his true worth.

With Friday's command performance, he has given England a chance to build on a defensive base that is sound, powerful and strong.

Finest hour They also came of age

Trevor Sinclair

The reserve for the reserve was shoved into a starring role, and responded with his best performance yet for England. At 29, he showed that there is always good reason to retain faith in your own ability. His persistence, his willingness to run at defenders and to work up and down his left wing, made life easier not only for Ashley Cole, but also for the midfield. Sinclair is on the old side for coming of age, but he proved he has the guts to tackle anyone, anywhere. His work rate deserves mention as it ensured England's left looked more secure than for many years.

Ashley Cole

It is hard to believe that Ashley Cole is barely 21 and only secured a regular first-team place at Arsenal a year ago. Such was his level of concentration and his defiance when Argentina besieged England in the final 15 minutes, he seemed at least a decade older. His temperament was the quality most at risk as he was pushed, roughed up and put under tremendous pressure, but he did not put a foot wrong. How Arsène Wenger must have approved and how valuable it was as he proved he now has the maturity to emerge as a man for the future.

Danny Mills

Embarrassed against Sweden, under pressure to prove he has the ability and temperament to retain his place, Mills did both. In a near-faultless display that mixed gritty defending with a willingness to link up with Beckham, he also proved he has international quality. He showed, too,a readiness to learn. "I knew from Sweden that one mistake can be costly at this level. I found that out the hard way, but I decided not to let it affect me. It was backs against the wall, stick your chins out and defend for your lives, but everyone did it."