England begin World Cup with goal-fest against Iran but ex-Leeds United men can only look on

Gareth Southgate preferred Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham in the centre of midfield, alongside Mason Mount, and 19-year-old Bellingham rewarded him with the first goal in a 6-2 rout.

Phillips, who has played just one minute of Premier League football since his summer move to Manchester City from boyhood club Leeds United, was among Southgate's nine unused substitutes alongside ex-Whites loanee Ben White. Shoulder surgery has disrupted the midfielder's 2022/23 campaign and left him shy of action going into a tournament for which he passed fit just in time to get the call from Southgate.

Bellingham's 35th minute opener paved the way for a largely comfortable first outing for the Three Lions and goals from Bukayo and Raheem Sterling made it 3-0 at the break.

Saka grabbed his second just past the hour mark with a finish that was every bit as cool and composed as the one supplied by substitute Marcus Rashford on 71 minutes, after Mehdi Taremi had added a consolation for Iran.

Callum Wilson raced clear in stoppage time and could have iced the cake himself but unselfishly squared the ball for fellow replacement Jack Grealish to stroke in the sixth for England.

Iran did fashion a number of chances to add to their tally, Sardar Azmoun's fierce blast tipped onto the crossbar by Jordan Pickford the best of them, before a 103rd minute penalty scored by Taremi that proved the final action.