Even now in football there are those who are surprised at just how far Tyrone Mings has come.
He was once let go by Southampton’s academy for being too small. He stands at 6ft 5in now. Later, in 2015, there were those at Ipswich surprised that Bournemouth paid £9million for him. Four years on Aston Villa invested more than twice that amount.
So if proving people wrong has been part of the Mings story then it is probably appropriate that the England defender is still doing it.
Even now in football there are those who are surprised at just how far Tyrone Mings has come
Had it not been for injury to Manchester United captain Harry Maguire, Mings would not be in the England team. Having played modestly in two warm-up friendlies, it was not certain he would keep his place regardless.
There were calls for a back three, the insinuation being that Mings and John Stones could not cut it as a pairing. Some expressed a fancy for Conor Coady of Wolves. But a clean sheet alongside Stones in the opening Euro 2020 win against Croatia has quietened things a little.
‘To know I was in there fighting for a place if Harry wasn’t fit was an exciting time,’ said Mings yesterday. ‘But to be told I was starting was exciting and daunting at the same time. I didn’t get much sleep before the game and didn’t eat much either which was a mixture of excitement and nerves.
The English defender was once let go from Southampton’s academy for being too small
Later, in 2015, there were those at Ipswich surprised that Bournemouth paid £9million for him
‘These are the things you have to go through to gain the experience people so often talk about. But I loved every minute and was honoured to be chosen. But now that’s gone and it’s time to focus on the next game.’
As ever with England, some of the reaction to the Croatia victory has been excitable. Certainly the 28-year-old had a more than decent game.
Equally, the Croatia attacking threat was negligible. Mings and Stones would routinely face more challenging afternoons in the Premier League, something Mings actually touched upon during a half hour media call yesterday.
‘There was nothing really on the pitch that I was going to face that I hadn’t seen before in the Premier League against top strikers,’ he said.
‘It was everything else about the day I had to make sure I dealt with, making sure the nerves and excitement didn’t beat me before the game started and that I wasn’t knackered before I kicked a ball. At the end of the game there was a lot of relief.’
And now on to Scotland on Friday, which will in all likelihood be different altogether.
Steve Clarke’s team certainly had a vulnerable look about them during defeat by the Czech Republic. Equally, they were not entirely impotent going forward and managed 19 goal attempts. Their style of play will perhaps be a little more traditionally British, more direct. So Stones and Mings can expect to be busier, even if it is in such a way that may suit them.
Four years on Aston Villa invested more than twice that amount for the England defender
Had it not been for injury to United’s Harry Maguire, Mings would not be in the England team
Sportsmail columnist and former Scotland manager Gordon Strachan said: ‘Scotland will have to decide whether they play the same way, play it long and try to get the knock-downs and go from there.
‘They could choose to sacrifice some of their height and strength to get a trickier player like Ryan Fraser or James Forrest on. But I think they will go the same again — play quite direct.’
If this is the way that Scotland choose to play, it should not worry Mings. He has been a Premier League player with Villa for two seasons but previously played for Ipswich in the Championship after formative years with non-League Chippenham Town. He has experience of differing styles.
‘We will be well-prepared for however they play,’ said Mings. ‘They could come and play. They have good technicians in their team. They can go long if required as well and that just makes them harder to predict.
‘It’s about embracing the fixture on Friday and understanding what it means to the fans but not letting that cloud our judgment. We are there to win and the best way is to stay composed and in control of our thoughts and actions.’
Mings’ admiration for Maguire was made eloquently clear yesterday. He called him a ‘fantastic defender’ and ‘somebody I look up to’.
He added: ‘I take inspiration from him. So even though there is competition for places, to be mentioned in the same breath as him is a compliment in itself.’
Maguire is England’s best nuts-and-bolts defender and is likely to play if he recovers in time
But, back-to-back clean sheets would give Gareth Southgate something to think about at least
Maguire is England’s best nuts-and-bolts defender. His partnership with Stones remains England’s most likely combination if he recovers from an ankle injury in time for competitive play.
Equally, back-to-back clean sheets would give manager Gareth Southgate something to think about at least.
It would be surprising if Mings himself loses too much sleep over it. His journey up the football pyramid was difficult enough that he almost quit at one stage.
Meanwhile a tweet at the weekend from non-League Eastleigh marking the 10th anniversary of Mings turning out for them in a friendly against the Falkland Islands provoked a raised eyebrow yesterday.
‘Yes it was a bit cheeky of them to tweet a picture of me in their kit because they turned me down as well,’ he said.
‘I played one game. I was 17 or 18. They didn’t offer me a contract. But I was talking to a friend last night and was saying how weird it is that this all now feels normal.
‘When occasions like playing at Wembley in the first game of a major tournament comes around, it’s a nice time to reflect on what you have done. It’s been a great journey and now I want to make it an even better one.’