At a time when England focus is narrowing towards a journey to America next summer, Bukayo Saka is able to introduce a dose of perspective.
It was not that long ago that the height of the Arsenal playerâs ambition was to move from an armchair to the Christmas dinner table before his food went cold.
Saka will make his first start for Thomas Tuchelâs England against Senegal in Nottingham on Tuesday evening having recovered from a hamstring tear that ruined the second half of his domestic season.
With an enforced lay-off has become a fresh and different approach to his life and football, according to the 23-year-old. Lying on a surgeonâs table at 5am on Christmas Eve can do that to a player.
âIt was Christmas and the surgeons wanted to be with their families so I had to do it at that time,â Saka recalled.
âCredit to the surgeon â he got up early to do it. I was out of the hospital at about 4pm and home. Christmas Day, I went to my cousinâs house but I was in a big brace and had crutches.
Bukayo Saka will be one of Thomas Tuchel’s most important attacking assets as England boss

The Arsenal star missed more than three months of last season after surgery on his hamstring

And after recovering from a niggle, Saka is back and set to start against Senegal on TuesdayÂ
âI had to get my presents brought to me which I know doesnât sound the worse thing!
âWhen everyone got up to go to the dining room, it took me about ten minutes to get there. Little things like that. It was just very painful to get up.
âI had gone from five years playing straight football. Then everything stops. You are on crutches, in hospital and need help around the house for the first few weeks.
âIn those periods it is a real test mentally and then it is about the days in the gym, whether you want to work or not, on the pitch when it is raining and you are on your own with the physios and need to put in the extra run and extra effort.
âIt is about how much you want it, and I wanted it a lot.â
Saka is sitting in a small room at St Georgeâs Park. To his right, there is a large photograph on the wall of him celebrating one of his twelve England goals.
On Tuesday at the City Ground he will be part of a national team with some making up to do. He was not involved against Andorra as England laboured to a 1-0 win in Barcelona on Saturday but has heard the noise that has followed.

But the German was far from happy with England’s performance against Andorra on Saturday when Jude Bellingham (pictured) and Co struggled to find a way past minnow opposition

Harry Kane lunges to turn in the only goal of the game in the World Cup qualifier in Barcelona
Even Tuchel questioned the England playersâ attitude after the game and that led us to ask Saka why it is that this version of the national team seems to play better against more high-profile opposition such as the Netherlands (in the last Euros), Italy (twice in qualifying) and France â despite losing (at the last World Cup).
âItâs a good question and I canât answer for every player but naturally in the bigger games everyone is going to give a bit more,â he admits.
âIn these other games we need to find a level where we can maintain that same quality and drive and hunger for the whole game.
âItâs not easy at times but we need to find that and get these games over the line.
âI think the expectation is to win, rather than entertain. If you can have both, then perfect. But we feel more the expectation is to win rather than to entertain.
âManagers in the past â and now Thomas â have been trying to work on the cohesion, that chemistry, trying to get us to play good football.
âAt the end of the day, as players we just want to win. The fans want the same as well. Thatâs the most important thing this country needs right now.â
Winning may well be a sensitive subject at Sakaâs club this summer after another season of great promise ended with nothing tangible to hold.

Declan Rice, Arsenal’s newly crowned player of the season, keeps his focus in training

Saka admits he is envious of the likes of Eberechi Eze (left) who won silverware last season
Saka admits with a slight grimace that he watched Tottenhamâs Europa League final win on TV â âItâs the way it was, isnât it? â and that it hurt watching other clubs from London â such as Crystal Palace in the FA Cup â lift major silverware.
âYes of course, naturally,â he says.
âBecause you want that to be you.â
Dwelling on the past serves as little purpose to Saka as it does to England right now, however, and the young winger has had a little help with all of that.
âI like reading and when I was injured I got more time to read a couple of non-fiction books,â he says.
âOne of the books I was given by Carlos Cuesta [Arsenal coach] was called: âThe Power of Nowâ.
âItâs a really good book. Itâs about not thinking about the past, not thinking about the future.
âJust being in the moment and always asking yourself whatâs necessary right now.

Saka has revealed that he has been reading Eckhart Tolle to improve his mental attitude

Saka, who has scored 12 goals in 43 England apperances, is trying to live in the moment

Morgan Gibbs-White is fighting for a spot in a fixture played at his home ground in Nottingham
âSometimes I could think: âOh, am I going to come back in the best shape?â Or: âWhat could I have done to prevent injury?â
âBut all that is not necessary. Itâs only going to bring bad energy, negativity to your body.â
One victim of Sakaâs injury lay-off was his cockapoo Tucker who arrived as a puppy while he was incapacitated.
âHeâs a puppy and I couldnât really get after him,â he laughs.
âBut it was a good experience. It was funny.â
As part of Tuchelâs leadership group, Saka was one of the first players to take a call from his new England manager after his appointment last autumn. He has had to wait a while to get going.
âYeh he reached out to me and spoke to me about where he sees me in this group and my responsibilities,â he says.
âI wasnât able to be at the first camp and didnât play the first game this time but hopefully I can be involved this week and get off to a good start under him.

England captain Harry Kane was one of the few to come out of Saturday’s game with any credit â scoring his 72nd international goal and showing the right attitude until the final whistle

Trent Alexander-Arnold will report to Real Madrid for the Club World Cup after England duty

Jordan Pickford has been challenged by Tuchel to keep hold of the England No 1 jersey
âThis is all about being a team, playing as a team, getting that chemistry going, learning lessons in these qualifiers so when the World Cup comes weâre ready for anything.
âSometimes countries do come and just defend. Itâs up to us to find a breakthrough. Sometimes we do, sometimes we donât. Sometimes the reaction is a bit over analysed on our performances and sometimes itâs justified.
âThe main point and the main thing weâre thinking about is winning. Thatâs what mattersâ