A whole team subbed, paper aeroplanes and John Terry's debut: What happened the first time England met Montenegro in 2003

By Adam Shergold for MailOnline

Published: 12:46 EDT, 26 March 2013 | Updated: 15:07 EDT, 26 March 2013

As England prepare for their must-win World Cup qualifier in Montenegro this evening, there have been a great number of flashbacks to the last meeting between the nations in October 2011.

The 2-2 draw in a European Championship qualifying match, in which England surrendered a two-goal lead and Wayne Rooney was provoked into kicking out at Miodrag Dzudovic, has been flagged up as a cautionary tale of how not to go about important assignments in hostile places.

But trace the line of previous encounters back further and there is another meeting a decade ago that carried great long-term significance.

Match winner: Joe Cole curls home the decisive goal in England's 2-1 friendly win over Serbia and Montenegro back in June 2003

You beauty! Cole is mobbed by his team-mates after settling the close contest at Leicester's Walkers Stadium

Back in the gap between Wembley stadiums, when England toured the country like a travelling roadshow, they took on Serbia and Montenegro at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester in June 2003.

Though a warm-up for an important Euro 2004 qualifier with Slovakia a few days later, the game is noteworthy for a number of reasons.

It was the first time John Terry, then 22, pulled on a jersey for the senior team when he trotted on as a second-half replacement for Gareth Southgate.

The first of 78 caps for his country, it represented a changing of the guard in the heart of England's defence.

The match programme

With Sven Goran Eriksson taking the opportunity to look at some hopes for the future, 10 substitutions were made in the second-half and 21 players got on the pitch.

Among those introduced were James Beattie, Darius Vassell, Jermaine Jenas, Gareth Barry, Wayne Bridge and Wayne Rooney - showing that some make it for England and some don't. 

No less than four England players wore the captain's armband - Michael Owen, Emile Heskey, Phil Neville and Jamie Carragher - illustrating just what a farce all the chopping and changing was as the game struggled to maintain any rhythm.

It didn't help that Serbia and Montenegro, as the now independent states were known between 1992 and 2006, made 11 changes of their own.

Steven Gerrard gave England the lead on 34 minutes, finishing with his usual sharpness after running on to Michael Owen's through pass.

However, the visitors levelled when Nenad Jestrovic headed home Zvonimir Vukic's corner shortly before half-time.

The second period fell into a torpor with the continual substitutions, leading many in the crowd to throw paper aeroplanes on to the pitch, but England won it when Joe Cole curled home a brilliant free-kick eight minutes from the end.

Despite the stunted nature of proceedings, Eriksson's plan paid off as England beat Slovakia 2-1 at the Riverside Stadium courtesy of two Owen strikes.

HOW SPORTSMAIL COVERED THE MATCH

COLE MAGIC EASES THE PAIN - SUBS GALORE, THEN SUPER STRIKE SEALS ENGLAND WIN

BY MATT LAWTON

IF qualification for the European Championships is all that really matters, this would have satisfied a pragmatist like Sven Goran Eriksson.

It is against Slovakia in Middlesbrough next week that England's players and their supporters will come under far greater scrutiny, so for a coach concerned only with avoiding injury, last night represented something of a success.

Delight: A fresh-faced Steven Gerrard celebrates after putting England into a first-half lead

Whether the paying spectators who eventually resorted to sending paper aeroplanes on to the pitch for amusement will agree is another matter, however.

An international friendly that started positively for England descended into farce at the Walkers Stadium as Eriksson returned to the bad old days of changing almost his entire team.

This was not quite Australia in February, when he took off all 11 starting players during the interval, but before Joe Cole's 82ndminute free-kick secured victory for England, the Swede had made 10 substitutions.

It was an extraordinary spectacle, and one that made little sense if attempting to determine what Eriksson hoped to achieve from such an exercise.

Leveller: Despite the best efforts of Ashley Cole on the line, Serbia equalised on the stroke of half-time through Nenad Kovacevic

Wayne Rooney found himself playing alongside Emile Heskey and the young Everton striker's flashes of brilliance should see him start up front with Michael Owen next Wednesday. Heskey was rather less impressive.

Jermaine Jenas, whose intention it was to put pressure on Frank Lampard, started the second half in the hole behind the strikers before eventually moving out to the right, while Owen Hargreaves must have felt similarly aggrieved.

Here is a Bayern Munich midfielder who sees himself in the anchor role, but he too was deployed on the right until England abandoned the midfield diamond and switched to a 4-3-3 formation.

On the charge: Gerrard, then 22, steals the ball from Zoran Mirkovic (centre)

On a more positive note, the supporters behaved impeccably - the paper planes aside - heeding the warnings issued by David Beckham and Owen and remaining silent while the Serbia-Montenegro national anthem was played.

That set an example their team then followed, returning to the diamond formation that worked so well against Turkey in April with a display that was both disciplined and determined.

England look so much more comfortable when trading width for an advanced midfielder in Paul Scholes and a defensive general in the form, on this occasion, of the excellent Phil Neville, who may well have played his way into the starting line-up for the European Championship qualifier with Slovakia.

Steven Gerrard was outstanding in the position normally occupied by David Beckham, crowning a fine contribution with a terrific first-half goal.

Debut: John Terry won the first of his 78 England caps as a second half replacement for Gareth Southgate

Matthew Upson performed reasonably well on his full debut, but the Birmingham centre half was at fault for Serbia's equaliser and that could yet persuade Eriksson to take another look at John Terry. The trouble was that it was Upson who Terry appeared next to at the start of the second half for what was his England debut.

One must assume that Eriksson had already decided on his team for the Slovakia game before last night's tedious affair. Rooney will surely regain his place for England's first competitive game since Turkey, while Lampard and Neville appear to have a strong chance of remaining in situ.

England were helped by a Serbia side who appeared to have their mind on the more important fixtures ahead and made 11 to England's 10 substitutes. It meant that no fewer than 43 players took part last night. Amazing.

Thick of it: Danny Mills steps over the challenge of Montenegro's Zvonimir Vukic

Gerrard made an early impression and Neville started well with an excellent tackle on Zvonimir Vukic, and Lampard also looked to get involved.

With Heskey on the field there was a tendency to resort to the long pass, but Gerrard discovered the benefits of keeping the ball on the floor with a wonderful goal in the 35th minute.

It was a delightful move that started just inside the Serbian half, Gerrard collecting the ball from Scholes at pace before executing two terrific one-twos with Lampard and Owen, the second of which saw him meet Owen's cross with a first-time strike that flew beyond the grasp of Dragoslav Jevric.

Young gun: Wayne Rooney, winning his fourth cap, take on future Man United teammate Nemanja Vidic

Frustratingly for Eriksson, however, Serbia equalised just before the break, England's failure to deal with a corner allowing Nenad Jestrovic to score from close range after his initial header had been blocked, albeit behind the line, by Ashley Cole. Upson had lost his man, and so shown his relative inexperience.

Then came the halftime reshuffle and a delightful free-kick from Joe Cole, who celebrated his first international goal and England's fourth successive win in some style after he had been fouled by Nemanja Vidic.

The Serb also caught Rooney with a nasty challenge, but in the end it was only Upson who was suffering with a dead leg.

If, of course, you ignore the suffering of the spectators.

VIDEO: Highlights from the match

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ENGLAND PLAYERS THAT DAY?

STARTING LINE-UP

DAVID JAMES
Club (at the time): West Ham United Cap: 15/53

Having served as understudy to David Seaman for several years, James finally earned his promotion to first choice in 2003 - ironically as his club West Ham were being relegated from the Premier League.

James went on to play all of England's matches at Euro 2004, memorably clattering Thierry Henry to concede a late penalty against France in the opening group match.

Following mistakes in a World Cup qualifier against Austria later that year, Eriksson relegated him beneath Paul Robinson in the pecking order, an arrangement that lasted through to the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

DANNY MILLS
Club: Leeds United Cap: 16/19

Mills was often England's first-choice right-back during the early noughties and replaced the injured Gary Neville throughout the World Cup in 2002.

Because of the team's nomadic nature at the time, all of his 19 caps were won away from Wembley Stadium.

Leap: Danny Mills jumps over the challenge of Nikola Malbasa

MATTHEW UPSON
Club: Birmingham City Cap: 2/21

Upson's performances at centre-half for Birmingham during this Premier League campaign led to the start of an on-off international career that lasted until 2010.

He won seven caps under Eriksson but was soon playing second fiddle to the dominant partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell.

Upson was recalled under Fabio Capello in 2008 after a gap of four years.

GARETH SOUTHGATE
Club: Middlesbrough Cap: 54/57

Already into his thirties by this point, Southgate was winding down his international career by 2003.

Originally part of the squad under Terry Venables after 1995, Southgate recovered from his infamous penalty miss against Germany at Euro '96 to win a half-century of caps.

His 50th had come in the 1-1 friendly draw with Portugal at Villa Park in September 2002.

ASHLEY COLE
Club: Arsenal Cap: 18/100

Eriksson had fast-tracked Cole from the Under 21s and accelerated his development into one of the best left-backs in the world.

Cole, at the time of Arsenal and later of Chelsea, has played for England at five major tournaments and won his 100th cap in England's 2-1 win over Brazil last month.

Foot race: Phil Nevile and Zvonimir Vukic chase after the ball

PHIL NEVILE
Club: Manchester United Cap: 39/59

Neville was often selected for England duty from 1995 onwards, but was only really a regular starter during the Kevin Keegan era.

He briefly wore the captain's armband in this match but opportunities became more and more limited under Eriksson favoured Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge at left-back.

Nonetheless, he was in the squad for the 2004 European Championships.

STEVEN GERRARD
Club: Liverpool Cap: 17/101

The Liverpool man has been indispensable to a succession of England managers since 2000. He was a fresh-faced 22-year-old in the match with Serbia, but quickly became an integral part of England's plans.

His goal in this match was his third for England and he now has 19 and over a century of caps, many as captain.

Gerrard was a regular starter during Euro 2004, scoring against Switzerland in the second group match.

FRANK LAMPARD
Club: Chelsea Cap: 10/95

Like Gerrard, Lampard has been one of the first names on the teamsheet for every England manager since Eriksson and is closing in on a century of caps.

Having been bypassed for Euro 2000 and the World Cup in 2002, Sven was in no doubt as to Lampard's importance by Euro 2004.

He was vindicated as the Chelsea man scored three goals in four matches in England's run to the quarter-finals and was named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament.

Muscle: Frank Lampard and Nemanja Vidic contest the ball

PAUL SCHOLES
Club: Manchester United Cap: 56/66

Another member of England's so-called 'Golden Generation', Scholes curtailed his international career in a manner he may have privately regretted.

A regular starter since the Glenn Hoddle era, and always an influential player, Scholes found himself squeezed out of the midfield by the emergence of Gerrard and Lampard as an effective pairing.

He called time on England in August 2004, choosing to concentrate on his club career with Manchester United and family life.

In the intervening years, there has been talk of Scholes returning every so often, but his 66th cap was his last. 

EMILE HESKEY
Club: Liverpool Cap: 34/62

First selected for his country in 1999, Heskey began an eventful England career which lasted over a decade.

Despite never being a prolific scorer at international level - with a final tally of seven goals in 62 outings - Heskey was nevertheless involved in plenty of big matches.

By 2003, his place as foil to Michael Owen was coming under increasing scrutiny with the emergence of Wayne Rooney, but he managed to cling on to his place for years.

Grounded: Wayne Rooney picked up a knock during the second half

MICHAEL OWEN
Club: Liverpool Cap: 49/89

Owen was pretty much at the peak of his powers when he started as England's number one striker and captain against Serbia.

Sadly, it wouldn't be long before the slow decline of his career, disrupted by niggling injuries, that has ultimately ended in his retirement at the end of this season.

But as many have pointed out in the last few days, Owen was unstoppable at this lightning-fast, brilliant best and England fans are eternally grateful for the memories.

SUBSTITUTES