Troy Deeney told England fans to watch out for Ismaila Sarr after he once tormented Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw.
The pair are set to face off when the Three Lions take on Senegal in Sunday’s World Cup Round of 16.
And Deeney knows all about the danger Sarr poses having played alongside him at Watford between 2019 and 2021.
The 34-year-old knows he’s beaten Shaw after watching him give the former Southampton defender a steamy moment in Watford’s 2-0 win over United in December 2019.
Writing in his column for SunSport, Deeney said: “He will cause a lot of problems for England, especially their full-backs.
“I remember a game at Vicarage Road against Manchester United in December 2019.
“We won 2-0, Ismaila scored and he gave Luke Shaw a miserable time.
“He also played against Shaw and scored in another win at Vicarage Road last season – that 4-1 game which earned Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the sack.
“Harry Maguire also played in both and he was on the back foot the whole time, worried about what was going to happen behind him.”
Sarr goes into tomorrow’s encounter in fine form having scored once in the World Cup in the Group A final win over Ecuador.
And having remained loyal to Watford after their relegation from the Championship, he has contributed with six goals and three assists in 17 appearances.
Deeney also thinks Sarr will be incredibly motivated to play against England, as he has identified him as player Gareth Southgate’s side should be most wary of.
He remarked: “This could be the first real test of this defense.
“I still think we’ll dominate the ball and it’ll be us trying to break them up, but they’ll really attack us on the counter.”
“Transition is going to be key. It will be a closer game than people think.
Before adding: “Ismaila’s motivation will be at its peak.
“With the January window approaching and with Watford in the Championship, we all know he wants to play more often in the Premier League and at World Cups and on those kinds of stages.”
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