Village

Poor old Johnny Woodgate, 17 months out of the game, and finally he makes his Real Madrid debut, into a pressure cauldron where the team where already getting a lot of flack after some recent bad results, and things didn't quite go as planned.

25 minutes in he proves his reactions and fitness are back up to scratch, by changing direction quickly enough to get a glancing header on a Bilbao strike, unfortunately this only put it the otherside of the goal that the keeper was going. 1 nil.

Then just before half-time he reminded us of his no (brainer) nonscene style of defending, as he straddle a forward at about waist hight with both legs, earning yellow card number one. And to cap a joyous night, he obstructed another Bilbao striker, preventing a possible counter-attack, and the ref had no option but to bring out another yellow card, then a red.

Luckily for Village, Real still managed to come away with a 3 - 1, and if there are any positives, at least his reason for an early bath was official rather than physical.

From what I've seen the experience of being out for so long has helped a former prized moron develop into a more rounded adult, in the same way John Terry seems to have turned things around for the better, and I do believe fully fit, and match ready these two former likely lads could be the mainstay of an England defence for many years to come, as Sol and Rio disappear up their own arses )<>(