Wonderful Whelan puts France in a flap

IT was not quite a shot that could be heard around the world, but the ripples created by Glenn Whelan’s fine winning goal here were almost certainly felt in France.

Raymond Domenech’s spies were unlikely to have been at White Hart Lane to check on Whelan’s progress and, even if they had, the chances are they would have departed before he delivered the match’s decisive moment with five minutes remaining.

Giovanni Trapattoni, watching alongside Fabio Capello in the directors’ box, was already on his way to the airport when Whelan swept regally into the top corner, but when he reviews the video footage, it is easy to imagine his craggy features splitting into a smile.