SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown wants Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge to both start for England against Slovakia on Monday night.

The duo both came off the bench to help the Three Lions secure a dramatic 2-1 victory against Wales on Thursday. 

And Brown, who was watching the game while away in Ireland, now wants the strikers to stay in the side.

“I would start both Vardy and Sturridge against Slovakia now,” said Brown.

“During tournament football you find different players coming to the fore and that’s something that goes way back to 1966 with Geoff Hurst.

“We’ve seen other examples of it since then too and I would love them to see them staying in there.

“I would always start Vardy and I think you have to put Sturridge in there now as well.

“To win it like we did right at the end was massive and Roy Hodgson’s substitutions really pushed Wales back.

“He got rewarded for that and it’s put us into a good position heading into the final group game on Monday.”

Sturridge’s injury time winner put England top of the group with one group game left.

But it was not looking good for the Three Lions at the break as Gareth Bale’s long range free-kick somehow beat Joe Hart to leave Brown wondering if a defensive wall was needed.

“I think in a situation like that when it’s 35 yards out if you set up a wall it gives someone of the quality of Bale a target to hit,” said Brown.

“If the keeper just stands in the centre of the goal and lets someone shoot at him from that kind of distance then more often than not I think he saves it.

“It’s an interesting debate but Dean Saunders said the same thing on the television after the game and I agree with him.”

Bale’s free-kick was cancelled out by Vardy’s equaliser at the start of the second half.

But Brown was surprised the goal was given, saying: “I know the ball came to Vardy off of the head of Ashley Williams but could the linesman have seen that from where he was?”

“If he has then it’s one hell of a spot but I would have expected to see him flag and then talk it over with the referee, who would have been in a better position, similar to what happened in the play-off game between Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton.”

“It certainly makes a change for us to get a break like that because they normally seem to go against us over the years with red cards, disallowed goals and Maradona!

“Who knows maybe it might even mean it’s our year.”