Thursday night, Sophia asked whether Southgate had told him anything definite, since the press conference hadn't confirmed a thing.
"I start Friday," Demien told her.
She paused before congratulating him, because he'd started for England before.
"What makes this one different?" she asked.
He looked at the Wembley itinerary open on his tablet. "First time I walk out there as a starter instead of sitting with the subs waiting for the match to need me."
"And Tuesday's sitting behind it, isn't it," she said, not really a question.
"It is," he admitted.
"Don't play Tuesday's match in your head on Friday," she said.
"Easy to say from outside the camp," he said.
"Still correct," she said, and he let her have that one rather than arguing it.
He asked about her work and listened through a short update before the call wound down.
"Enjoy the anthem from the pitch this time," she told him, and the smile stayed on his face well after the call ended.
