Smash hit

But if it felt like an over-reliance on Walcott, who is not the type to carry a side on his own, the burden only grew as Germany took the lead midway through the first half.

It was a goal that encapsulated the multiculturalism of the Germany squad as the wonderful Mesut Özil (part Turkish), who is sure to add to his one senior cap, eluded Fabrice Muamba, England’s midfield sentry, and slipped a perfect pass behind Martin Cranie.

Gonzalo Castro (part Spanish) chipped the ball past Scott Loach, the England goalkeeper, who was playing only because of Joe Hart’s self-inflicted suspension.

Loach’s night was about to go from bad to truly awful. His Coca-Cola Championship debut for Watford last season had been notable for the referee infamously giving a goal against him even though the ball missed the goal by a couple of yards.

For Germany's second goal, he so badly misjudged the flight of Özil’s swerving 35-yard free kick, moving to his right as the ball flew to his left, that everyone assumed that the shot must have taken a deflection. Replays, embarassingly, showed otherwise.

Coming only three minutes into the second half, England had time to respond and they did not lack resolve. Milner could not have been more determined to make the last of his record 47 caps at this level a memorable finale, driving at his marker and often beating him.

Adam Johnson, far less effective on the left, almost converted one Milner cross but was blocked on the line. Lee Cattermole’s shot from distance clipped the top of the crossbar.

But England were paying for a lack of forward options and when Pearce calms down, which may be in 2011, he may regret replacing Danny Welbeck, the injured striker, in his squad with Danny Rose, a midfield player.

Deploying Richards as a centre forward was his only option, but no sooner had he done so than England conceded a third goal, Sandro Wagner shooting through Loach’s legs.

By the time that Wagner added the fourth, curling in a fine shot from the edge of the penalty area, defeat had taken on more than a tinge of embarrassment.

There was, as Pearce insisted, much that could be taken from the tournament, and campaign. He had never, he said, subscribed to the “boom and bust” theory in defeat or victory.

As always with the under-21s, there will be a few such as Michael Mancienne, Milner, Walcott and Gibbs who have a future at the highest level, but, for most, this will prove the peak of their international careers.

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