As they filed through the interview zone at Wembley on Tuesday night, the appearance of one England player unexpectedly provoked the sort of excited scrum that was previously reserved only for David Beckham.

It was a point that was put to him with some force by the assembled African media and, despite being booed by 20,000 away fans for having apparently chosen England, Welbeck kept his options open.

“I’d have to think about that to be fair,” he said, when he was told that he remained eligible for Ghana. “I’d definitely have a think about it if that is what people are saying. I hope they [the Ghana fans] would be excited for me to play, but after that reaction I’m not sure if they are still my friends.

“I was really happy to make my debut for England, but to play against Ghana was a slight concern for me. I wish it hadn’t been against Ghana. For me it was a bittersweet moment. I’ve got love for both countries. I can’t play for both. I can’t make everyone happy.”

Welbeck, in fairness, was clearly trying to remain polite in the face of some fairly direct questioning and will have taken reassurance from Fabio Capello’s subsequent description of him as “a very important player” for England’s future.