Bruce says Gray has potential to play for England

ENGLAND have long prayed for a naturally-gifted left-sided winger, yet manager Sven-Goran Eriksson could soon be blessed in that department.

Two bright young things have come to the fore in Middlesbrough’s Stewart Downing and Birmingham’s Julian Gray.

Downing has so far been a revelation at the Riverside, and his performance in Boro’s UEFA Cup victory over Lazio was full of rich promise. But like any position in a squad, you need competition for places and Gray is staking his claim, as Liverpool found to their cost on Saturday.