Ince can still do the business

Paul Ince is being diplomatic over the end of his England career, but when did the former Manchester United and Liverpool midfielder ever care less than passionately about his football?

He is quite correct in declaring there are more pressing matters - like helping Terry Venables and Bryan Robson prevent Middlesbrough allowing their1-0 home defeat by Southampton to start a relegation slide.

But if Sven Goran Eriksson had braved the Riverside chill he would have witnessed the kind of battling performance from Ince that, even at 33 and 56 caps down the line, suggested Boro's skipper still has something to offer his country.

'Paul Ince is playing as well as I've seen him play,' said Venables. 'I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd been included in the squad. He's been excellent.'

Ince was excellent once again, hurling himself into the thick of everything - this time without reward, as impressive midfielder Mark Draper's first goal for Southampton four minutes into the second half put Boro's Premiership future back on the line.

Ince admitted: 'The lack of ball-winners in the England squad is a big surprise.

'It's a young-looking midfield, and you always need somebody to win possession and break up the opposition attacks. We're probably not part of the coach's plans now.

'But I've had a great time with England over the years. I'm not going to lose any sleep over not being picked.'

Glenn Hoddle was relieved his Southampton players had picked themselves up after their FA Cup upset against Tranmere.

'There was a lot of emotion afterwards,' he said. 'If we'd lost this one, we'd have been asking the players if (the Tran-mere result) had scarred them.'