START with Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford – that’s my advice, for what it’s worth, to Gareth Southgate ahead of Sunday’s game against Panama at the World Cup.

I’d rest injured Dele Alli, maybe Warrington’s own Jesse Lingard and City’s Raheem Sterling who, for various reasons, were nowhere near their best in our Group G opener against Tunisia.

Southgate has done well managing expectations in this World Cup of shocks.

Who would have predicted favourites Brazil, Spain and Germany to all drop points in the early games, when the most impressive result was Belgium beating Panama 3-0.

England’s problem, which we knew about before they took off for Russia, is a lack of firepower if skipper Harry Kane isn’t on top of his game – and sadly a lack of creativity in midfield.

I do also wonder what our defence would be like if we come under pressure from top-notch strikers, which certainly didn’t happen against Tunisia.

Having said that I’m reckoning on England, who have been cut to 12/1 from 18/1 at Betfred to be outright winners, will at least make the semi-finals.

Southgate has got his youthful squad smiling; they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Betfred will lose £3m-plus if England’s workmanlike, well-drilled team do win us the World Cup for the first time since 1966.

Patriotic punters had piled on at 18/1 best price before the Tunisia win to lift the trophy in Russia on July 15.

You could make a case for six or seven nations to win in Moscow, including England.

They didn’t have any recognised stars 52 years ago under Alf Ramsay, so let’s hope history repeats.

Meanwhile, I can’t believe the RL family are not firmly behind England’s ground-breaking Test match against New Zealand this Saturday evening.

As is often the case with initiatives like this, it doesn’t always get united backing with many asking: ‘Why America?’

But we need to showcase across the pond, certainly if we are to build towards a successful 2025 RL World Cup in the USA.

What an opportunity for the players. It will be a special moment for both teams to run out at the Sports Authority Field, Mile High, Denver, home of the world-famous Denver Broncos NFL team.