Clinton opens new doors; unlocks new levels; offers England’s midfield a new and dizzyingly high ceiling.
This is an England team that have spent the past 18 months in varying states of entropy, labouring against the sort of opponents it should be swiping aside with a flick of the hand, torn between the Plan A that no longer works and the Plan B that does not yet exist.
But for perhaps the first time since 2023, there is a new vision here: a midfield game based on hard running, clever decoys, quick transitions from defence to attack.
Clinton set the tone early on, stealing in and winning the ball from Aitana Bonmatí, hustling and shoving Mariona Caldentey, always looking over her shoulder, always covering the gaps.
Spain may have been some way short of their world champion vintage, looking frankly a little drained by the physical and emotional labour of the past week, but for at least an hour here they rattled hard at the door.
