England vs Costa Rica: Five things we learned from the Three Lions' final World Cup warm-up match

Goals from Marcus Rashford and Danny Welbeck secured a confidence-boasting victory for Gareth Southgate's men

It almost feels to good to be true. An England side that is vibrant and dynamic. An England side that is slick, comfortable on the ball and composed. An England side that, for the first time in what feels like an age, looks to be enjoying itself on the main stage.

Gareth Southgate’s men were all these things on Thursday night as they reaped their revenge on a side that, four years prior, had ensured England finished bottom of their group in Brazil – with just a lonesome point to their name.

Fast forward to the present and England have come a long way since. The sense of paranoia and timidity that underpinned this side in Belo Horizonte was thankfully absent at Elland Road as Southgate’s team, brimming with youth and potential, took the game to the visitors.

It was a performance that, one imagines, will provide the England boss with plenty of food for thought. Marcus Rashford, Danny Rose and Trent Alexander-Arnold all raised their hand, with the United man in particular showcasing his worth. It was a performance that recalled to mind the youngster’s breakout season at Old Trafford: energetic, oozing with confidence and topped off by a stunning, dipping 25-yard strike that further lifted the already raucous Yorkshire masses. It was telling that Dele Alli and Kieran Trippier were brought on in the final 25 minutes of the match to allow Southgate a final comparison.

Are England really ready, then? The sceptics among us naturally wince at such a thought. After decades of disappointment, the default response has been to clinch our fists, screw up our faces and shout down the daring inquisitor who would pose such a question – all the while harbouring an unspoken sense of quiet optimism.

This time round, though, no-one is counting on England to upset the odds at the World Cup. There has been no quiet optimism, no guilty consideration that, maybe, against the odds, no matter how improbable, this could be our year. The build-up to this year’s tournament has been shorn of the traditional hyperbole, with great benefit to the glass-like mentality that has characterised England's psyche in recent decades.

Against a Costa Rican side that rival Mexico as the top team in the Concacaf region, England showed what they were capable of – and have done so for two games on the trot now. With the preparations all wrapped up, it’s time to carry this potential into the World Cup and give the fans something to cheer about – regardless of how fleeting it may be.

So, what else did we learn?

Rashford hands Southgate selection headache

He has to start. An incredible piece of skill within the first 10 minutes, followed by a stunning long-range strike, showed exactly what Rashford is all about. From that point on, he was a nightmare to deal with as he repeatedly carved his way through the Costa Rican defence with his pace and tricks. The 20-year-old is electric on the field and, on his day, one of England’s best assets. This World Cup is going to be about experimenting and allowing the young players to thrive on the biggest football stage of them all; let Rashford do exactly that and he will fly.

Marcus Rashford celebrates his goal for England (Getty Images)

Rose looks reinvigorated

Danny Rose spoke candidly ahead of this game that England had brought a renewed sense of purpose to his career, after months of struggling with depression and injury. In his own words, inclusion in Southgate’s World Cup squad provided him with “salvation”. As such, it was unsurprising that the defender embraced today’s game with the energy and heart of a player who had been handed a second chance.

Operating as a wing-back in Southgate’s offensive-minded formation, the Tottenham man looked at ease bombing up and down the left flank – eager to prove his point. His service was consistent, too, pumping in dangerous deliveries into Keylor Navas’ box while looking for those searching balls in behind that Jamie Vardy loves. After a season spent on the sidelines, with the constant buzz of speculation overshadowing him, it was genuinely heartening to see the player enjoying himself once again. This performance will have done him no end of favours.

Danny Rose delivers a dangerous ball into the box for England (Getty)

If you’re good enough, you’re old enough

Along with Nigeria, England have the youngest average age of any squad at the World Cup. Just 26. On top of that, England have the least experienced team of any at the tournament – just 20 caps on average. It doesn’t matter. They’re just numbers. The mentality throughout the squad is to win the tournament; it doesn’t matter that it’s most players’ first tournament. If you go to a World Cup you want to win it and that’s clear.

“We’re going there to win it. We don’t expect anything less and we’ll be disappointed if we finish second,” Dele Alli said. “I feel like we have to have that mentality. We don’t want to go there and just be a part of it. We know how good we are as a squad, we know the talent.

“If we get the best out of each other then anything is possible.”

The young Liverpool man showed his worth with a mature performance (REUTERS)

Alexander-Arnold may be just 18, with only one cap to his name, but he’s going to the tournament on the back of a season that saw him play an intrinsic role in Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final. He is one individual among a squad full of players who are exciting, young and certainly good enough to compete.

Rude awakening for Costa Rica

Across the last 15 years Costa Rica have taken giant strides forward, having qualified for four of the last five World Cups and twice finishing third at the Gold Cup. Reaching the quarter-finals four years ago transformed perceptions of the side, who now rival Mexico as the top team in the Concacaf region. Despite their small-guy status, Costa Rica are no pushovers

But today the visitors looked shadows of their former selves as they struggled to control the energy and zip of Southgate’s side. Going forward, they lacked ideas to break down a relatively well-organised England defence and, at the back, they looked fragile and vulnerable as they were given the run around by Rashford and Co. Keylor Navas, too, showed why he is one of the most overrated goalkeepers in the world as he was caught off his line by Rashford’s stunning, dipping strike. After months of hype around the team, this will have been a rude awakening for the Central Americans.