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Your support makes all the difference.The record of Southampton players on England duty has not always been a happy one. Kevin Keegan spent the majority of the 1982 World Cup finals struggling in vain against a back injury while on the last occasion England played Italy, Matt Le Tissier spoiled everything by informing his brother – who then told his local radio station – he would definitely be starting at Wembley, before delivering an insipid performance which ruled him out of the 1998 finals.
Wayne Bridge might be an exception. He is young, highly talented and, most importantly of all, able to fill the left-back position which has concerned successive England coaches since Stuart Pearce announced his international retirement.
After a fine debut against the Netherlands last month, which was only curtailed through injury, Bridge seems certain to face the Italians at Leeds tomorrow. Since Ashley Cole is still considered vulnerable, Graeme Le Saux's disciplinary record is supposedly too much of a risk and Chris Powell, although technically the best defender of the lot, is said to be too pedestrian going forward, this may be Bridge's great opportunity. Those who said the absence of Boudewijn Zenden gave him a relatively easy ride in Amsterdam will be interested to see how he fares against Juventus' Gianluigi Zambrotta at Elland Road.
Asked to name his strengths, Bridge mentions strength, "a good engine" and a bit of pace, but, more importantly, he has both an inner confidence and the faith of every manager he has ever worked with that he would one day play for England.
"If someone had told me in August that I would be playing for England, I'd have been very surprised," he said. "But this manager [Sven Goran Eriksson] has shown he will give people like Chris Powell and me a chance. Playing for the Under-21s was a massive step up and it really helped my development."
These days full-backs are expected to attack and it helps Bridge that when he joined his home-town club as a 14-year-old trainee it was as a left-sided midfielder. "Dave Jones persuaded me to move to left-back a few seasons ago. I'd always been a midfielder since joining the club, but someone was injured against Wimbledon and I had to move back and stayed there for the rest of the season.
"All the managers I have had have believed in me and told me I would one day play for England, but I've tried to keep my head down when hearing things like that. Glenn Hoddle was a very big influence on me. I never missed a game when he was manager of Southampton. He showed a lot of faith in me and that gave me encouragement. When someone like Glenn Hoddle says you have it in you, that's a big thing."
As is Bridge's ability to stay free of injury. He has played some 80 consecutive games for Southampton, which in a club forced by financial circumstances to play a small squad, is a truly precious commodity.
At 21, Bridge remarks that time is on his side, which might be truer than he imagines. Should he come through with honours against the Italians, there will be barely a month to go before Eriksson names his side for the World Cup finals. Taking Bridge to Japan will be a risk, since he suffers from the occasional lapse in concentration which could be fatal in such a rarified atmosphere. However, he knows he has to tighten up his game and has worked hard at eliminating the casual errors.
There is still something of the innocent about Bridge, saying that it is "a dream come true to train with the likes of David Beckham". Usually, when a footballer joins up for international duty, salaries are compared and heads are turned, although he says money has not been a topic of conversation and points out that he is under contract to Southampton until 2006.
"Perhaps going to the World Cup is in my grasp," he remarked. "England has made a difference. I am recognised in the street now, though I don't know if it's a feeling I enjoy because I've never tried to build myself up."
Should England return from the Far East with any kind of success, this may be a feeling Bridge will have to grow accustomed to.
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